White Padded Room
by Hyatt Insomnia
Summary: *Complete* The trip down the path to insanity is a wonderful one indeed. Slight AU. Yaoi. Bakura/Jounouchi
1. Resonance

White Padded Room

Rated: R

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh and anything else mentioned inside this story do not belong to me.

Warnings: Brace yourself, this is meant to be a dark fic. It deals with a lot of things that people are not generally used to dealing with, or may be uncomfortable with. First off if you are sensitive with the subjects of Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Opioid Abuse (drugs such as heroine), or Borderline Personality Disorder do not read this. There will be some mentions of animal abuse and at one point Jounouchi does suffer from heroine withdrawals. 

This will contain yaoi (do I write anything else?), that means guys with guys kiddos, and it will be at least a real lime scene if not a lemon. (Of course this will be the only one of my stories you will ever see it in, and it will most likely be just a lime). Of course, all of the actual yaoi until much later on. 

Mentions of abuse will also be found sometime along the line and do not count out possible noting of attempt at suicide. And with all my other fics, just in case, I warn you the characters are more then likely to become out of character at one point or another. Last thing, there will also be some crude language but not a whole lot of it because I'm not too fond of it myself. Oh yeah, and dark humor! 

Notes: I know I shouldn't have started this. It was just nagging at me until it drove me crazy, so I finally decided to write it. This will be the only chapter that has notes and warnings. Story will eventually lead up to the Bakura/Jounouchi pairing, though I'm not quiet sure how it will work out yet. I'll tell you this, I know for a fact they do not have one of those 'lovey dovey' relationships (where as they will be in love, no worries), if that's what you're looking for turn back. 

Story will switch back and forth from following Bakura and Jounouchi, though normally should follow both at the same time. I warn you all ahead of time, I may be slow on writing this. It requires a lot of research on my part and I want to get everything down to the side effects to medications right. This is my first really involved fiction. Now that all of that is said and done, here is the first chapter of "White Padded Room". Enjoy.

Mad props go out to Hana no Ceres, a very good writer when it comes to the Bakura/Jou couple. ^_~ I recommend you read her stuff if you no what's good for you. I'd dedicate this story to her, but in a way, with my lack of talent, it would be an insult to someone of her caliber.

_Jounouchi's POV (They're at the beginning of every chapter sometimes they take place in the past…sometimes the present)_

Chapter One: Resonance 

_I've known for quite some time that I'm insane. I never needed anyone to point out to me that I was in need of professional help. I never needed anyone to come up to me and say 'hey, you're really not alright'._

_I've known it all along. I never need some rich punk like Seto Kaiba to rub my insanity in my face. I never needed any of my friends to know about it either. My life was fine the way that it was. But I suppose most people think life as a masochistic, suicidal, heroine addict isn't quite picture perfect._

_There really is only one person I've known that could really understand me. That was Bakura. I should've known that he'd understand me sooner then I did. I should've realized that without being sent to this place. I should've known that when my so-called-friends would never understand me quite like he does._

_Sure my friends are great and all, but none of them have had to go through what I have. None of them have been so desperate to loose the pain of living they've resorted to one of the worst drugs known to human kind. They've never known what it was like having to sleep with one eye open just in case you drunken father decides he wants to end your life in the middle of the night._

_There something's that I've been unfortunate enough to experience that not even the great (but only in his mind, thank you) Seto Kaiba could understand._

_I guess in some ways I should be thanking that prissy-ass rich boy for sending me here. Without him, I wouldn't have my first true; the first real person to know me. Then I remember one of the things he sent me for. Every ounce of gratitude I have for him is lost when I remember that._

_I wonder sometimes, exactly why he had put that there. He knew what he was doing was a serious matter, or perhaps it was just some sick joke to him. I guess that would make sense. _

_I could see him waking up one day thinking, 'let's play a trick on Jou and send him to the loony bin'. He's always seemed to go out of his way to torture me. I've never understood that either._

_Another think I'm not quite sure of is how he found out that I was addicted to heroine. Not even one other person had even thought about me doing drugs, and they still don't. I guess that's another good thing Kaiba did for me. Damn him, since when did he actually do me of all people favors?_

_They all thought that I was absolutely fine, as I've said before. I'm sure that they still do. I know Honda's probably in denial, Yug's probably broken and Anzu I can imagine is telling them that as long as we believe I'll be okay, it will come true. Ha, how naïve. As for Ryou, I have no idea what's going on inside of his head right now. He's probably got too much to worry about with Bakura locked up in here with me._

_You know, now that I think about it there are so very many things I am unsure of, but there's one thing I know for a fact._

_I, Jounouchi Katsuya, have officially lost my mind._

The loud blaring of the phone ringing caused Jou to jump from his bed. Inevitably, he fell out of it and right to the floor with a loud 'thunk'. Another loud ring reached his ears, hurting his head. His eyes where watering fiercely, his body was sweaty and his stomach felt like there was something unpleasant living inside it, but still he got the phone.

"Hello?" He greeted in a not too happy voice. Sure, he hadn't been sleeping but lying around doing nothing was one of his favorite pastimes, and he didn't enjoy being interrupted. 

"Jou! You're awake!" The voice on the other end piped in a tone the exact opposite from Jounouchi's own. The blonde recognized it immediately; it was his very own best friend Yugi Mouto.

"Hey Yug, what's up?" He tried to sound a little happier that time, giving that it was his best friend he was talking to. There was no reason to make him feel worried. He did this despite the fact that his stomach what churning; something that usually isn't a good sign. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to come over today," Yugi suggested, though Jou sensed a bit of nervousness in his voice. He didn't pay much attention to it though. He was a bit preoccupied with the nausea he was currently experiencing to say anything about it. "That is if you're feeling up to it."

Without thinking, Jou answered his friend. What an idiotic thing to do! It didn't take a genius to know that he wasn't in any condition to go anywhere aside from the bathroom, let alone to a friend's house. Still he couldn't resist his friend so he submitted. "Sure thing, I'll see you in an hour or two."

He hung up the phone without saying goodbye, knowing that Yugi wouldn't mind and knowing that he was going to throw up sometime soon. Practically sprinting, Jou made it to the bathroom just in time. With much trouble from his sweaty hands he pushed the porcelain lid up, vomiting violently. 

One of his hands found the silver knob once he was finished, pulling on it; flushing the toilet. It had been eight hours since his last hit, and already his withdrawal with unbearable. He'd have to deal with it for now; he promised he'd meet Yugi in an hour or so. That didn't give him enough time to come down from his high before he had to leave.

Reluctantly he turned on the shower. He figured that he would need one before going over there. Not caring whither or not the water was too hot or too cold, Jou slipped off his clothing and stepped it.

The water was relaxing. Sure the showerhead just produced some sort of cheap artificial rain, but Jounouchi found it soothing in many ways.

It washed away the sickening feeling of being covered in sweat. The sweet scent it produced covered up that of the body fluids he had omitted from his body minutes ago. And the soft rhythmic beat of drops pounding against his back provided a twisted version of a massage.

Showers where sort of a temporary escape from the horrible dream we call reality. It was an escape Jounouchi only put second to heroin.  

He picked the bar of soap up off the side of the tub; lathering himself up and down with it up until he was satisfied he was clean. Ignoring the newly found stinging sensation on his arm, from where he had been shooting up, he reached for the shampoo, pouring a small amount into his hand.  

The scent of coconuts filled the small bathroom as he scrubbed the substance through his hair, cleaning it thoroughly. A growing pain in his abdomen made itself known.

Jou ignored it to the best of his abilities, finishing his 'duties' in the shower. He hastily turned the shower off, knowing he was going to collapse from the still growing pain soon. 

He stepped one foot out of the shower and toppled to the floor. His hands clutched his abdomen in a feeble attempt to make the pain go away. Of course it was all in vain.

Jou cursed aloud, crawling his way over to where the phone was. Inside he was praying that someone beside himself was invited over to Yugi's today. There was no way he could possibly walk over there in this condition. 

He picked up the phone, dialing the first number that popped into his mind. Naturally that was his other best friend Honda Hiroto. "Hello?" A voice on the other end asked. Funny, Jou hadn't remembered hearing it ring.

"Hey is Honda around?" Jou asked.

"Yes he is hold on a second," The voice was followed by a clash then the sounds of retreating footsteps.

A few seconds later a familiar voice showed up on the other end, "Hello?"

"Hey Honda, it's Jou," the blonde greeted, trying his best to sounds his normally upbeat self. It wasn't the easiest task considering the harsh pain he was feeling at that moment. "Are you going over to Yug's today?"

"Yeah, sure am!" The blonde felt like he had just got a ten-ton weight lifted off his back, he sighed of relief, though he still wasn't sure if he could actually get a ride from Honda or not.

"Do you think I can have a ride? I'm feeling a little dizzy," Jou asked, inwardly feeling bad for lying to his friend. Well, he was only partially lying. He did still have the lingering twinge of nausea haunting his stomach at that very moment.

"Sure thing, I'll pick you up in about ten minutes," Another weight felt like it had been lifted up off of Jou. 

"Thanks a lot man! See you then!" He hung the phone up, giving another deep sigh of relief. He really owed his friend for this one.

Putting much more effort into it then should be need; Jou picked himself off the floor and walked into his room. It took him quite awhile to get dressed. By the time he finished the doorbell rang. 

He scurried down the stairs, almost tripping twice along the way, and swung the door open. "Ready to go?" Honda greeted in his typical unique type of way. Jou only gave a nod afraid that if he spoke pain would be evident in his voice. "Cool, then lets go."

Both boys entered the vehicle. The ride seemed such a blur. Everything passed by them too fast for Jou's mind to register. Before he knew it, they where in front of the Turtle Game Shop, and Honda was giving him a weird look.

"You okay man?" He asked, concern lining his voice.

Blonde locks fell of his ocher eyes as Jou shook his head. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"I've been calling your name for two minutes now," Honda's lips tugged into a frown, "You don't look so good. Are you sure you you're alright."

Instead of shaking his head, this time Jou nodded. "Yeah I'm sure," He grinned to make sure that his friend would believe him.

"If you say so," the caramel haired teen headed towards the door, his not-so-healthy looking blonde friend trudged behind him. Despite what Honda had said, he was still worried. People didn't normally look that pale, nor did they sweat as much as Jou had unless they where working out or had a fever. He sighed and decided to let it go. He knew Jou would only argue and tell him everything was fine anyways.

He knocked on the door, and waited. A few minutes later their small tri-colored haired friend opened the door. "Hi!" Yugi greeted moving out of the way so the two could step inside.

Honda nodded as he entered, Jou continued to trudge along. Upon looking at Jou, Yugi frowned. The blonde noted that a lot of people seemed to be doing that today. That's not a good sign.

Amber eyes looked around the room, taking in the people that where there. Aside from him, Honda and Yugi, Anzu, Ryou, Yami and Kaiba (1) occupied the room. He stopped at the last one and glared at him fiercely, "What's he doing here?"

"Don't worry you pretty little head – dog – I'm here to help you," Azure and ocher eyes locked in an intense glare. 

"I don't need your help moneybags," Jou spat the words like they where poison. He didn't need help, especially from Kaiba.

"Jou…" Anzu broke through the glare; he looked over at her, clearly confused. "You do need his help."

"Wha…?" He was going to ask more but Yugi cut him off.

"Kaiba told us…" The usually bright-faced boy's expression turned dark as he spoke. Jou felt his heart jump into his throat. He couldn't believe it, Kaiba told them about his addiction. He couldn't even believe Kaiba actually knew about it, not that he had done a great job at covering it up or anything. "…He told us about your suicide attempts. We think you need to get professional help Jou."

For a second, he felt relieved, that was until exactly what Yugi was saying sunk in. "We've admitted you into the Domino Psychiatric Hospital," Kaiba was the one to but in this time, much to Jounouchi's annoyance, "of course with permission of a parent who seemed all too happy to give you over. You'll be in there until your problems are dealt with. Naturally since you yourself didn't admit yourself to the hospital, you will not be able to discharge yourself. Yugi has left the responsibility up the doctors."

"You can't make me go," Jou yelled. Instantly he regretted doing so as he was hit with a wave of nausea. He toppled forward only to be caught by his hated brunette rival.

Kaiba leaned in whispering in his ear, "Trust me it's for the best Jou, you're not in the condition to struggle. I know how heroin withdrawals go, and believe me, I will tell your friends if you don't listen. It's best if you just give in."

"Why are you doing this?" Jou asked, genuinely confused. Kaiba had nothing to gain from him going into a psychiatric facility. So why in the hell was he doing this? He had to have some motive.

"Being an ex-addict myself, I know what you're going through," the words where hissed in his ear. Had he not felt like he was about to vomit, Jou would've probably been struggling to get away from this far too uncomfortable situation.  "Tell me, how many hours has it been?"

"Nine," the blonde replied with out hesitation. "You must have some other reason beside that. You're not exactly the type of person to show sympathy. Actually I would expect you to laugh. 

"Just think of it as a chance to get you out of my hair," Kaiba scrunched his nose slightly, dropping the boy he was previously holding, "how's that for a motive, dog?"

"Sounds good to me, but I'm still not going to go," He didn't even try to pick himself off the floor. All he wanted to do right now was either vomit or pass out. Everything went black for a second. It seemed like the latter one would actually become an option.

"You don't have a choice," Kaiba spat. For a second time, Jou's vision turned dark. His hands instinctively went up and held his head. 

"Jou?" A voice asked, but he couldn't figure out who it was. Everyone, everything seemed so distant. It was like he was in a complete other room listening in on a conversation. He felt another wave of nausea swoop over his as his vision went blank once again. 

He wanted to pass out, but he didn't. He knew if he did he'd wake up in the facility and he did not want to go there. He almost screamed as his stomach lurched, the pain that in his abdomen reminding him that it was there. It was becoming too much to bear. The shock of what could be considered betrayal by his friends, the fact that it was brought on by Kaiba, his least favorite person in the world, not to mention his withdrawal was a big issue at hand here too. 

Giving up was his only option. Giving up…it was the one thing he wished he didn't have to do right now, but it was the only thing he could do. Struggling would only make his situation worse. So he gave up, and gave into unconsciousness, hitting the floor with a soft 'thump' a scream, coming from Anzu, heard afterwards.

His eyes flickered opened only to find that he had been taken to another place. He was lying on a bed, a t-shirt and sweat pants at his feet. Both of them had printed on them "Domino Psychiatric Hospital".

He cursed silently. It was exactly what he had thought would happen. That slime ball Kaiba used his withdrawal against him, knowing if he were overwhelmed he'd would most defiantly pass out. (2)

He was at least a little bit thankful that passing out seemed to have temporarily warn of the uncomfortable symptoms he was having before.

The door opened suddenly, making Jou jump and snap his head in the direction the noise had come from. A girl entered the room, most defiantly a nurse from the attire she was wearing. She had long chestnut hair, and pale green eyes framed by copper glasses. She was looking over a chart, which Jou figured was his. 

"Oh Mr. Jounouchi, I see you're finally awake," She smiled upon looking up from her chart, "I'm Nurse Julie Tamari, but you can just call me Julie if it makes you feel more comfortable. Also, you can go into the bathroom on the left of this room and change into your new clothing."

Jou glanced over at the clothing, then back at her. She gave him a look telling him that he had to wear it. He shuddered at how it seemed like she knew exactly what he was thinking. Then again, he doubted that any of the patients would want to wear the so-called-uniform. 

He picked the t-shirt and sweat pants off of the bed and walked over to the bathroom. As he passed by, he noted another person on what he originally assumed was an empty bed huddled into the corner. They had their head pressed to their knees, so he couldn't see their face. But the person did have silver hair that reminded him an awful lot of Ryou.

Had he admitted himself too? Jou shrugged and entered the bathroom. It was quite small really. It had a bathtub, with no showerhead, a toilet, a sink but no mirror. It did make a lot of sense to keep the mirror out. If they would've left it in, they'd most defiantly get a lot of suicides around the place.

Frowning, he tugged his normal attire up over his head, discarding it on the floor. He put the new, and bleach scented, clothing on his body. The scent made him feel like he was going to hurl. Bleach wasn't one of the most pleasant things to smell, but he figured it would eventually fade so he tried not to make note of it.

Grudgingly he opened the door, exited the bathing room and sat back down on his new 'bed'. Julie looked over at him, still smiling, "Just wait there for a moment and I'll inform your assigned physician you're awake."

He laid back on the bed, noting how stiff and uncomfortable it was. A few seconds later he heard the door open again. He lifted his head, expecting to see Julie, but it wasn't here. It was another nurse. This one had short blonde hair, just above her chin. It flipped outwards slightly at the end. She had bright blue eyes that reminded him greatly of Anzu's.

"Bakura," She said walking up to other bed. Both Jou and Bakura looked up at her. Had she really just said Bakura? No wonder he had looked so much like Ryou. It was his yami. 

"What do you want, woman?" (3) The silver haired tomb robber snapped harshly causing the nurse to flinch. 

"It's time for you medication," The nurse walked forward. It was then Jounouchi notice the straitjacket that Bakura was in, and the cup of water in nurses hand. He assumed that the other one had the piles. He also noticed how timid the nurse looked as she approached him. "Open your mouth Bakura."

Of course, Bakura's mouth was press into a strait line. He hated those meds with a passion. "Bakura, don't make this difficult. You need to take your meds," there was a hint of a pleading tone in her voice.

Bakura's mouth still stayed close. She sighed. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to force you," she apologized, her body shaking a bit as she sat the water down beside the bed and took a step forward.

That one simple step was all Bakura need for her to be in striking range. He extended his leg, kicking her with a well-placed foot in the rib. The nurse yelped, flying backwards and hitting the floor. Her chest heaved up and down taking in deep breaths from shock. The nurse would be lucky if she didn't have at least a bruised rib with a blow like that.

Jou jolted from the bed, running over to where the woman had fallen. "Are you alright?" he asked extending his hand out to help her up. 

She just nodded as the door opened again. "Mr. Jounouchi," Julie said, stilling looking at her chart and not paying attention to where she was walking and tripping over the fallen nurse. "I'll get the doctor…" She sighed before getting up off the floor and exiting the room again.

When she returned there where two more people with her. Another nurse, this one with medium length curly auburn hair and soft brown eyes and wearing black-framed glasses.

The doctor was a tall man, with chestnut brown hair, and azure eyes. The way he looked reminded him of Kaiba. Saying that, he knew already that he wouldn't like the man much. 

What he was holding caught Jou's interest. It was a syringe, the needle stuck in a bottle labeled "Diprivan". His ocher orbs widened, realizing what that meant. The doctor shook his head approaching Bakura, who was immediately pinned down by two of the three nurses that where in the room. "You know you're going to have to corporate one of these days Bakura," the doctor scrunched his nose as he pushed up the leg of Bakura's sweat pants. 

Beneath the grip of the two nurses, Bakura started to struggle. "Stop struggling! You're only going to make it hurt," Julie pointed out; Jou could tell that she wanted to scream at him. Screaming at a patient, however, would most defiantly get her in trouble. 

"I refuse to go through this again!" Bakura shouted, thrashing about on the bed. With a sigh, Jou got up and held down the spirit's legs. Deep chocolate eyes narrowed at him, distracting him from struggling to get free for just the right amount of time. "So you're on their side!" He yelled, then yelped when he felt a needle inserted into the vein of his leg.

Chocolate orbs grew half lidded as the anesthesia's effects started to take place. The auburn haired nurse opened his mouth, putting the pills in followed by the some water. Both of them where unconsciously swallowed before Bakura fell fully asleep.

Julie turned to Jou, her regular smile returning to her face. "Thank you for the help," she said sweetly, "Dr. Tenmai will see you now. Just follow me."

Doing what he was told, the blonde followed the nurse down a few halls until they reached a room. On the door it read "Dr. Deneen Tenmai". Julie knocked on the door before opening it. "Mam, Mr. Katsuya Jounouchi is here to see you," She smiled widely.

Deneen looked up from her desk. Her hair fell down to her shoulders; it was a red-tinted honey color. Her eyes where a deep mahogany, but here ears where what was unique about her. They pointed slightly at the end as she where an elf. (5) "Sit down," she motioned towards the chair before her. 

Pulling the chair out, Jou looked at her quite skeptically. She looked just barely nineteen and she was a doctor. Deneen crossed her arms over her chest, "You can relax, I'm not going to ask you anything today unlike most of the others here would. I want you to be comfortable so that can wait until tomorrow. Right now I just want to confirm what was on the submission papers."

She opened one of the many folders that lay upon her desk. "The forums where filled out by Mr. Kaiba, incase you where curious," Jou winced. That couldn't be a good thing. "He states that you show signs of possible abuse, depression, suicidal tendencies, heroin addiction, delirium and masochistic behavior." 

"Delirium?" None of them seem to faze him aside from that one. Of course each other stated was actually true. "Why delirium?"

The woman blinked and looked over her file. After a few moments of reading she looked back up at him, giving him kind of an odd look. "It says here that you have tendencies to believe that you are a canine." 

A blonde eyebrow twitched at that statement. He couldn't believe it. Kaiba had actually gone to the lengths of insulting him in a medical report. "That one's not true," He shook his head partly in annoyance, but partly in disbelief, "Kaiba's just an ass."

The doctor raised an eyebrow at the statement, "That he is. I suppose I can take your word for it, but I'll still look for you it. Understood?"

"Yes," Jou let out an exasperated sigh; his leg was beginning to twitch as the feeling of restlessness returned to him. Definitely not a good sign. 

"You may go now," Deneen smiled, waving her hand in the direction the door signifying what she had stated before hand. 

The blonde vacated the chair, making his way back to the room with haste. He was surprised that he was able to remember where it was located. The door opened much faster then he expected, causing him to topple forward. Luckily, the bruised nurse had been removed from the floor by that time. 

Mentally giving himself a swift kick, Jou got up and sat on the bed. There he twitched impatiently, waiting for something to happen. Once again his palms and forehead where sweating. Nausea had yet to make itself known at that current place in time. Trying not to think about his craving for heroin, he looked over at Bakura.

It was still odd that of all the people to get put in a room with he had some how managed to wind up with the silver haired, homicidal spirit. At least he was better then Kaiba. Jou snorted at the thought of the brunette CEO. That guy really had some nerve.

He pushed himself off the bed, heading over to where Bakura was still sleeping. For a while he stared at him, pushing a few locks of silver hair out from the silent form. Sometimes it amazed how different people where when they slept. 

Bakura at that moment seemed…vulnerable. Something that Jounouchi would've never thought possible for the spirit to achieve. 

His old pal nausea hit him, hard this time. The muscle in his stomach tightened around a newly formed not. He bolted from the spot he had previously occupied, and ran into the bathroom, spitting out what seemed like every once of stomach fluids that occupied his stomach in a series of atrocious upheavals.  

The disturbing sound of vomiting omitting from the bathing room caused Bakura to stir. Once he did he wished the drugs would've lasted at least another half an hour. Vomit was not a pleasant thing to wake up to.

Face scrunched Jounouchi walked out of the bathroom after rinsing out his mouth of the retched taste. "Heroin or just the flu?" Bakura asked giving the mess of a 'dog' a disgruntled look.  

"The first one…" the blonde replied. Was there any use to lying to anyone around here? Not really. Most of the people could either tell, or wouldn't believe you even if you where telling the truth.

"You deserve it," A slight smirk played on his features as he spoke the words harshly.

"What's wrong with you?" Jou questioned sneering at the silver haired spirit.

"You help the drods drug me," Bakura stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, yet not failing to show the detail about him clearly being pissed off about the whole situation. "That makes you my enemy now, leave me alone."

"So childish…" Jou teased, chuckling a bit at the spirit's misfortune. He regretted it not soon afterwards, making another sprint for the bathroom. Apparently his stomach contained more the he originally believed it to.

Moments later he emerged looking more battered then when he had entered it. His normally vibrant honey-flaxen hair dull and matted to his sweat covered face. His ocher eyes looked void of life; in other words he looked a total wreck.

"Come sit down" Bakura said sitting up then falling back down, "whoa…should've done that slower." Jou chuckled slightly, sitting the end of the bed.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Julie will get you some meds soon," the silver haired spirit commented in a strange way of trying to comfort the disoriented blonde beside him. "You know you're the third heroin addict I've had to share a room with."

"Really?" Jou asked though not even vaguely interested.

"No, but I thought it would make you feel better," Bakura snorted.

Jou turned to him, giving him an unconvinced look. "Why do you care how I feel?" He would've glared, but knowing it would be a pointless act any ways in his current condition, he decided not to.

"I don't," The spirit retorted, "I was only humoring you feeble mind, dog." He grinned, "Well actually, I figure if I play nice with you then maybe I could get out of this damn jacket sometime soon."

"Why exactly are you in it anyways?" Dull honey eyes flickered closed. Jou was currently fighting back another wave of nausea, and so far he was loosing.

"Well, that blonde nurse, her name is Alexandra just so you know, she used to have about four or five cats running around this place," He explained though currently not making any sense at all, "they where really annoying. I hated those damn cats. And I just happened to have got lucky and stone a pocketknife from one of the other patients that had recently come in's discard box when the nurses weren't looking. I used it to skin one of the cats.

"You might think it wasn't worth it, but the look on Alexandra's face when she saw her dead cat in the middle of the hall. It was priceless," He chuckled at his own twisted idea of a joke, "I wish I would've had a camera then."

Before Jou could say anything, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked up as Julie entered, teacup and a small cup of pills in her hand. "I told you she would bring you something," Bakura snorted.

The brunette nurse walked forward handing the cup of pills and tea to Jounouchi. He looked at her, confused. "What are these?"

"The square pink pill is Methadone, it helps calm down your symptoms. The large speckled pills are Chinese herbs; they relax your muscles and work well with the tea. It'll help you vomit less, and stop the sweating a bit. The last one is going to be one of regulars. It's called Zyprexa. It's a sleep aid that works as a helper to anti-depressants. You'll mostly likely start taking those after your visit with Dr. Tenmai tomorrow," Julie smiled brightly as she explained each of the things she handed him.

Just before leaving again she added one more things, "Take all of those and you should be fine until morning though sometimes they do take a while to start working." 

Unsure Jou looked at the pills, then at Bakura. The silver haired spirit raised an eyebrow at him. With a sigh the flaxen-haired boy shook his head, popped all the pills into his mouth and downed them with the herbal tea. None of it tasted all that great making Jou gag slightly.

"It would be better if you didn't take them all in one gulp," Bakura snapped at him with a roll of his eyes, "moron." 

"Thanks for warning me ahead of time," Jou retorted, groaning. "I'm going to bed, goodnight."

"Oh but I just woke up!" He gave a fake pout.

~*~*~

(1) Yeah, he's Kaiba here. I only call him 'Seto' in fictions where he's with Jou. I guess it's a symbolization sort of think if you wish to call it that.

(2) Really, if you get a big shock when you're going through anything like that, including the flu, you're already at risk of fainting, so a shock factor like that could cause you to faint. 

(3) O_O Vegeta moment…just thought I'd point that out *grin*

(4) My, aren't I creative with names? -_- 

(5) Uh no, she isn't an elf. She's based off of my friend…Deneen (hence above comment), who in fact does look like an elf. ^_^

First chapter done! I hope that everyone enjoyed it. In case anyone wanted to know a little bit of information, all of the nurses and doctors are based off of my friends. *shrugs* I was having fun. (And yes, I did kind of forget he was suffering from withdrawal once we got Bakura in there…T_T I'm sure there is no way that you can just temporally put a stop on it).

Anyways, please review if you actually managed to sit through that whole thing. *smiles*


	2. Fusion

Quick note: If anyone can guess what the titles of the chapters are from I'll give you a prize! (a.k.a. I'll write you something short…and uh, doesn't involve Seto with anyone that isn't Jou! I could not write it for the life of me… @_@;). The titles of all six chapters are: Resonance, Fusion, Selection, Conception, Evolution and Liberation. Hint: It has to do with a video game! 

I would like to thank my lovely 11 reviewers: Lee Ying, CelesLuvsYugi, Renee the Rabid Squirrel, Boriss533, P-chan, Chibizoo, Chibi-chan, Bakura's Baby, Dirge (*glomps*), Anzsilhouette247, Taito-kisses. I'm sorry for the wait! I hope this chapter was well worth it.

Oh yes, and I would like to note that I will now be placing the day number in which event happens. Obviously it would a boring story if I went through all the events in ever day and we have six chapters and 28 days to cover. Some chapter will contain as much as four days where as other may contain only one. *shrug* I just thought I'd let you know. I swear this is the last chapter I comment except for who one the thing above!

Chapter Two: Fusion

Somewhere in the middle of the night, my first night, the medications wore off. I found myself shaking, almost violently. I could feel the beads of sweat that hit my trickled down my forehead in thick beads as they hit the skin of my neck. Even though I was sweating, I was cold. That was part of my shivers. There other part, I'm not quite sure of, but I think I was afraid.

_Afraid of what? Nothing, everything even. I was afraid of being alive, I was afraid of what was going to happen to me. I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't get any heroin into my system. I believe that most of all, if I was afraid, I was afraid of going through this alone._

_You always hear those stories about addicts with a loved one by their side, helping them every step of the way to cure them of the accursed addiction to the substance. My friends, my loved ones, they didn't seem to give a damn. They had let that bastard rich-ass Kaiba have their way with me. I was alone in all of this. _

_Yes, I believe if I had any fear, it would be to face this alone. I know the withdrawal wasn't the first part of it. I knew I could get through that. The hard part would be the cravings. It's something that I could handle if I knew that there was someone who cared about me enough to stop me from overdosing. _

_My friends? I'm sure they care to an extent, but they still don't even know I'm an addict; well ex-addict really. They think I'm just suicidal, yet not even one of them was able to confront me about those feelings to my face. Not one of them, though I'm sure that they all suspected I wanted to end my life, came up to me and say "Hey Jou, don't kill yourself, it will kill me too" or "Jou, think about the people who care about you! There are plenty of people who want you alive." _

_How much could they really care? How long after my death would they have remembered my name if I had indeed actually died? A month? A year? Who knows how long! If no one ever cared enough to stop me, then why would they remember my name? So I am alone in this thing, at least I believe I am or I was for that matter._

_That night, somewhere in the middle of the night, my first night, when I was shaking after my medications had worn off I felt someone lay beside me. I felt their long strands of hair brush against my shoulder and chin each time they moved. They smelt of a medicine cabinet and blood. The blood scent being faded as if their hair had been drenched in it for weeks strait then flushed out with only water. It wasn't a scent that was going to come out easily. The medicine smell undoubtedly came from the cheap shampoo and staying in the likes of the institution for more then their fair share of time._

_I could tell their face was always towards me. From quite some time, I couldn't sleep with them in the same bed. I only gave notice to the soft silent breath that fell warmly upon my lips. It relaxed me, and entranced me with it's on going pattern of evenly drawn out breaths. _

_I had more then one urge to capture those soft breaths within a closer range; to feel them swirling inside of my mouth and into my own lungs as I kissed the sleeping person silently. I didn't. How could I explain to that person, who I had no idea who they where at the time, why I was kissing them? How could I explain the unexplainable urge to taste them, though I figured they would taste exactly like the smelt of, blood and medicine? I couldn't, so I refrained from doing so._

_Instead, I did the next best things. It was something that I could later blame on my dreams. It would be so easy to say, "I was dreaming of cuddling with someone, I didn't think there was anyone there". It was a believable story after all. So I wrapped my arms around the person, drawing their soothing warmth closer to me. Their head lay on my shoulder with their lips barely touching the skin on my neck, as if they where doing as I would lie about later, dreaming of being held by someone. _

_I felt the rough feel of woven belts and loop-through buckles underneath the skin of my arms. I could feel the uncomfortable itchy fabric against my fingers. But most of all I could and smell their soft hair against my chin. _

_It wasn't long before I figured out who the sleeping person in my arms was. It was Bakura. The rough fabric of belts and clothing where that of the strait jacket, the blood I smelt in his hair was obviously from torturing or killing many innocent people or small unsuspecting animals and most of all, he had disappeared months ago, months that I assume where spent locked up in here where the medicine scented shampoo would grow in their hair. I had no doubt it was Bakura._

_How long it was before I fell asleep is beyond me still. When I woke up, however, Bakura was no longer there. He was huddled up on his bed in a ball. If his arms had been free at that time, I had no doubt that they would be wrapped around himself. _

_I asked him when he awoke, if it had been him at my bedside. As I had expected at the time he had said no along with something like "even it had been me it would've been because you teeth where chattering so loudly it kept me awake!" I did believe that explanation for a while…_

_…But when things began to change, I could no longer believe it._

Day Four:

Neither of them left the room very often. For Bakura it was because he was forbidden to step in any room aside from that of his doctor, whom Jou later found out his name, was Dr. Yuuki Shuichi (1), office and the room. Jou, on the other hand, was not fond of the area around him. He only left whenever Bakura was feeling violent in which he would go to this large window in a quiet room where no one seemed to wonder. The only time he left aside from that was when he was called for group therapy or to see Dr. Tenmai.

The two had come to be known as the hermits of the institute, even though Jounouchi had only been there four short days. He still felt no need to be social with people that would be soon forgotten once he got out of there. He would of course remember the nurse Julie and his doctor. They knew personal things about him so he believed it would be in his best interest not to forget about them.

It was strange to him how accustomed this his surroundings he had become already. He was used to being awakened at seven o'clock in the morning, where as Bakura would sleep all day, the nurse where too afraid to go near him even in the straight jacket. He had become accustomed to the forced study groups in which he went to once a day at four, they where followed by a six o'clock visit to Deneen. Other then that he just lay in his bed and tried his hardest not to think over everything too much.

Right then it was a little after noon and Jou found the familiar sting of restlessness coursing through him. For the most part, the symptoms of withdrawal had left them. They where only supposed to last anywhere from thirty-six to forty-eight hours, yet he still found it hard to stay still and was sweating more then the average human person should.

He was sitting on his bed, knees huddled up against his chest with his arms holding them in place. His foot was tapping as if to urge him to move from the spot, but he gave it no heed. He was too busy looking at the sleeping figure huddled up into it's normal balled up form acting as if it would shield the person from everything that went on in the world outside his dreams.

Ever since that first night, Jou had found himself drawn to Bakura. Even if the spirit did deny that he in fact did calm him in his ridged state, he still knew it was him. He acted in a way that he had never expected him to act, so he found himself spending most of the time sitting on that very bed, watching him and trying to find out exactly what went on inside that mind of his.

Bakura shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, his brows furrowed. Jou blinked at that. How odd, it was as if he was having a nightmare, another thing in which the blonde thought the silver-haired man was incapable of. "Would you stop staring at me," ocher eyes blinked at the harsh voice that came from the man in which Jou thought he had been sleeping. He previous inquisition about the nightmare was put to rest. "I hate it when people stare…" However he found that equal odd. Bakura, the one who did not care about anyone or anything aside from his sadistic existence was actually unnerved when people looked at for him for too long. He couldn't blame it; Jou hated it when people would stare.

"I'm sorry," he muttered the simple apology, and could not help the blush that crept across his cheeks before laying down on the bed, his body facing towards the wall to stop the urge to study Bakura again. He heard the shifting of bed sheets again, assuming it was the said spirit getting comfortable again.

A thick silence covered the room, smothering the both of them in its unpleasant aura. When he felt as if he couldn't take it anymore, Bakura let a frustrated growl escape from deep within his throat. It was followed by the sound of thick footsteps placed angrily against the floor. Jou felt the bed shift underneath the newly added weight as Bakura sat down beside him. 

There was uncomfortable pause before a question that made Jou fidget in the bed, "Why did you do it?" The words where blunt, unexpected and crashed down upon the blonde with an impeccable weight. 

"I thought you where going to sleep more," He avoided the question as best as he could, though he figured he'd pretend later that he didn't know what Bakura was talking about.

"I figured since I was up, tired and not feeling up with you being butt-hurt all day I'd start a conversation," Bakura explained rather rudely, laying himself down to get comfortable on the bed. Apparently, he hadn't planned on leaving it anytime soon. "So why did you become an addict?"  

Jou cursed inwardly. His attempted to dodge the question failed. The second time around it had been strait to the point, and not leaving any chance for him to stall. With a sigh he figured it would be best to just answer the question instead of avoiding it and pissing Bakura off. "Because I didn't care," the words where softly spoken, so soft that they could not even technically be considered a whisper.

"Didn't care about what?"  Bakura asked only to receive an incomprehensible mumble. "If you're going to mumble could you at least turn around so I can read your lips?" His black-coffee eyes narrowed into a firm glare aimed at the boy's back.

The only close to an answer that came from the body was a small heaving of breaths. "Remember you brought this on yourself," he warned as he leaned down and bit down rather harshly on the side of Jounouchi's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Jou yelled turning over just to glare at him.

"I told you, you brought it on yourself," Bakura all to happily reminded.

"Yeah, yeah," a frown placed itself on the blonde's lips, now noting how close they where. He hadn't realized that Bakura had sat so close to him before, mostly because he had his back turned to him.

"So are you going to answer my question?" one of the spirit's near flawless silver eyebrows quirked upwards as he asked.

"Everything." 

Russet eyes blinked closed and open again a few times before he dumbly replied, "Everything? What kind of answer is that to a simple yes or no question?" Of course, after he said that he mentally smacked himself blaming his slow working mind on all the medications they seemed to inject into him on a daily basis.

"Baka! I was answering your first question!"

"Who are you calling a baka, baka?"

"You, asshole!"

"Mutt."

"Prissy-ass."

"Whore."

A seemingly random grin spread across Jou's face as he began to laugh hysterically, gaining an odd look from the silver haired man beside him. Once again Bakura found his eyebrow arched upwards questioningly, "What?"

He raised his finger and pressed it gently against the tip of Bakura's nose yelling, "Beep!" as he did so. (2)

"Mr. Jounouchi," The sound of a door opening followed by the familiar voice of Julie broke through Jou's fits of giggles. "Dr. Tenmai would like to see you early today," She said giving the laughing blonde a skeptical look, afterwards giving one to Bakura who was blushing, quite deeply, with his eyes crossed.

After recovering, which took a little more then a few minutes, Jounouchi finally vacated the bed and exited behind the room behind the nurse. Bakura frowned slightly touching his fingers to the tip of his nose. "He's an odd guy," he muttered before returning to his own bed to get more sleep.

~*~*~

"Thank you, Dr. Tenmai. I'll see you tomorrow," Jounouchi said his goodbyes to Deneen with a bow of his head, and a respectful smile. Once he had got there he had found out he would be called earlier from now on for longer sessions. The smaller ones that he was having before where to get him better acquainted with the doctor herself, so that he would be able to open up and speak of his problems to her.

He headed back to his room, thankful that he had gotten his way out of those annoying group therapy sessions for some time now. At that moment, he wanted to do nothing more then lay on own bed and take a nice long nap. 

Ocher eyes closed thoughtfully, caught in what a relief it would be not to have to speak to anyone about the things that happened in your childhood, or events that happen when you attended school to make sure to find out the way you are. He knew the doctor would blame everything wrong with him on his father, not that he cared about it, but he knew it wasn't the reason. He just had nothing to care about and that's why he is the way he is. There is no deeper meaning.

When he got to his room, he frowned upon seeing Alexandra and another one of Bakura's nurses, Solo (3), talking outside of the room. Both of which, did not look too ecstatic. He had known both nurses to always be bright and cheerful, and now both of their faces where turned into a deep scowl as they spoke.

"He won't let anyone go near him," Alexandra commented letting a sigh sneak past her lips, "he's be more aggressive about it then normal. He's already sent Julie to the hospital."

The other nurse, Solo, covered her mouth in shock, her eyes wide. "What exactly happened?" She asked though her voice became muffled by the hand in which covered her lips.

"She was walking down the hall when she heard a thumping noise from outside of the door. When she checked to see what it was she found Bakura banging his head against the side of the wall, (4)" Alexandra spoke her words slowly, her voice would crack every now in then thinking about her injured friend, "His head was split open and bleeding pretty badly. When she went to help him he attacked her using his feet to throw against the wall. She ended up breaking her back and one of her arms."

"Poor sweet Julie," Solo muttered slightly under her breath, before she realized that Alexandria had informed her Bakura's head was split open, "Is Bakura alright?"

"Yes, he's fine now. Dr. Yuki sedated him and fixed up his wound," a sigh of relief was heard from the nurse opposite of her.

Placing a fake grin upon his face, Jounouchi walked up to the worried looking nurses, passing by them easily. They both gave him a look of concern, or perhaps it was warning, but he had dealt with Bakura enough to know that he was capable of worse the nurse saw.

Upon entering, the muscles in the blonde's stomach tightened at the site before him. The wall corner of the wall near the door to the bathroom was covered in a small, but not unnoticeable layer of blood. The now limp body of Bakura was underneath it, his body lazily spread out in a sleeping position though he wasn't quite sleeping yet.

Cautiously, Jou approached him, kneeling down beside him. He looked at whatever parts of Bakura's face weren't shielded by his face; he couldn't help but grimace upon looking at him. Though the thick locks of silver hair he could see the patch, which covered his self-inflicted wounds. Deciding that he really didn't care whither or not Bakura attacked him, he lifted his hand and moved the surprisingly soft strands hair out of the way so he could get a better look at both Bakura's wounds and eyes.

"I don't understand you," the silver-haired spirit said, his voice monotone and his usually full-of-life, even if it was negative emotions that powered them, where glazed over and near black. He looked like he was staring at something, when he was indeed looking at nothing. "I don't understand you," he said again.

"What do you mean?" Jounouchi asked letting the hair he had pushed away slid off his hands and back into the lifeless face of Bakura.

"I don't understand how you can act so cheerful and laugh so full of life over such a childish then yet be unhappy enough with your life to take a powerful drug like heroin," He began to list off all of the things he had observed about the blonde, the monotone sound to his voice refusing to face, "Or why you let Kaiba put you in this place under some of the conditions that he did. Or why you act like you care about the well-being of everyone, even those that you hate. Or how you can always make your friends laugh when they're feeling down."

There was a long pause. All Jounouchi could do was stare at the spirit before him. He didn't know how explain why he did the things he did. He just did them because that's who he was, but he knew that answer would not be a satisfying one for Bakura. So rather then saying something and upsetting him, he just made a small noise and hung his head in silence.

It wasn't a very comfortable silence, but even when they where speaking it wasn't all that comfortable either. Just as he was about to retreat, Jou heard one last thing from Bakura, "I don't understand that when I laid in your bed your first night, you held me." 

After that he banished all thought of moving from that spot. "I can't even remember the last time I've had anyone hold me, let alone hug me," Bakura continued on, not exactly sure why he was telling all of this to Jounouchi of all people. This was after all, the same street pup that's mouth and quick temper always got him into more trouble then he seems worth. "I tried to hug Ryou once. He thought I was planning something and called the cops to take me away for a night."

He chuckled slight at the sweet irony of it. It was stopped short however, when he felt two strong arms wrap around him. Finally, Bakura lifted his head and looked into the smiling face of Jounouchi. "You don't have to do this to make me feel better, you know? Actually I'd quite prefer not to have your pity," He frowned, the first sign of emotion he had shown since Jou had returned from his meeting with Deneen.

"I'm not hugging you because I pity you," the blonde whispered letting his head rest atop of Bakura's while he held him in his arms, "I'm hugging you because I want to." Bakura gave him a perplexed look, which quickly turned into a glare. "What?" Jou asked, blinking slightly, "It's the God honest truth."

They sat in silence, the first real comfortable silence they had, had since Jounouchi had been admitted to the place. Bakura let himself fall limply into the arms, though he was mentally kicking himself repeatedly for actually enjoying it. He was, after all, not suppose to give a damn about anything. 

Yet he found himself falling deeper and deeper into the friendly embrace. Thick lashes fell over the deep caverns of his russet eyes, and he let out one out of may three content sighs in his life. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that there was someone that was there to protect and comfort you. It was wonderful, but equally odd.

He recalled the incident from before where Jounouchi had nose-beeped him, and then burst out laughing. He still didn't quite understand why exactly he nose-beeped him; he understood why he started laughing even less. His nose scrunched up when he felt a new tingle travel to the tip of his nose. "Such an odd guy," he muttered out loud, not realizing he had done so.

The statement caused the blonde to shift slight in confusion, but rather then asking what Bakura had said, he asked him something else. "How exactly did you end up in here anyways?" Jounouchi asked carefully, his words soft and sounding only semi-interested as not to alarm the hot-tempered spirit. "I wouldn't figure you one to put yourself in here, or else you would already be gone, and I know Ryou wouldn't have the backbone to admit you without your permission."

"It was Malik…" Jou noted the twinge of pain that seemed to pass through Bakura's eyes as he said that. He was going to suggest that he waited to tell him until he was ready, but Bakura continued on. "He told me that he didn't want to deal with me anymore. He said that Ishtar was already too much for him to handle, and I was beginning to grow more and more like him each day. So he sent me here."

"Do you think he was afr—" 

"I know he was afraid," The words where spoken in an unpredictably heartbreaking tone. "He knew that I had a worse time controlling my temper then Ishtar does, so he became afraid for his life and used the fact that I inflicted harm upon myself to get me inside here. And as you can see, the discovered more then what Malik told them as time passed by.

"I hear the doctor talking to the drods sometimes. He doesn't believe that I'll ever make it of there," A growl was heard coming deep with in his throat, "neither do the drods, and honestly, I'm beginning to believe it myself."

"You'll get out of here," Jou grinned as he spoke the words, causing Bakura to raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I promise you, I'll get you out of here myself if I have to," he poked Bakura's nose gently for the second time that day. This time, however, he left the cheerful 'beep!' out.

The grin on his face soon faded, and placed itself with a more serious one. "It's getting late," Jou said, even though it was only around eight-thirty; a time in which if you're over the age of seven is not late at all. "We should go to sleep now."

"Would you mind if I slept in your bed again tonight?" Bakura asked, feeling himself blush. It was an unfamiliar thing for him to do, and he was still getting used to it. There seemed to just be something about Jounouchi that made his cheeks turned red. "It gets kind of lonely, and I'm used to sleeping in the same bed as Ryou."

The blonde cocked his head to the side, giving a small chuckle. "Sure thing," he answered cheerfully as he picked himself up off the floor, and helped Bakura up afterwards and into the bed.

They slept the same way the had the first time; Bakura's head comfortably resting upon Jou's shoulder, sleeping with the strong arms wrapped around him as ocher eyes watched him contently. "I could get used to this," Jou whispered under his breath before letting his own eyes close and soon drift off to sleep himself. 

~*~*~

(1) Did anyone catch the name reference? If you did then kudos to you! If you did then well, uh, it's a Yuki Eiri x Shindo Schuichi, the main couple of Gravitation reference. Pointless really, but it's amusing. 

(2) I read a page of Arcana where Vincent did that to Holden, she made a note that we should all nose beep someone we don't know, and since I don't leave my house, I put it in the story. I even drew it similar to how it appeared in the comic: (uh yeah…there is no site in the /art directory… just in case anyone wanted to look at more of my crappy art)

(3) My friend, Dagny, goes by the name Solo and I couldn't think of anything else to name her. So there you go. Her name is Solo.

(4) Ahh the joys of Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Basically, it's explosive behavior of violence, it usually doesn't provoke masochistic behavior, but with someone like Bakura that enjoys pain, it could easily do so.

It's not quite as long as the last one, but if I put anymore in it, it would be too long. *smacks head on desk* I made Bakura out of character in this chapter towards the end, damnit. Please leave reviews, random comments, and constructive criticisms or just say hello! 


	3. Selection

Question answer: Title of the Days in the original Parasite Eve game. Closest person was Renee the Rabid Squirrel. The story is called "At Their Feet" in case anyone was interested. *shrug*

Chapter Three: Selection

I've grown used to the warm body beside me while I sleep. The sweet breath that falls from his half-parted lips upon my neck as he sleeps peaceful, causing equally sweet dreams inside my own slumber each nigh. In those dreams I find myself dreaming of things that I wouldn't think myself capable of. I dream of what it would be like to kiss him, or what his skin would taste like. 

There have been more then a few times in where I have been tempted to try, taking advantage of his trusting closed eyes and the closeness of his body. So many parts of me wanted do nothing more then to touch him; pleasure him, but it a part of myself that I have had to will away. 

_More then once I have dreamt about what it would be like to be intimate with him. Those days after the dreams I know I blush every time I look at him. He always asks me if I'm feeling all right, or why I'm acting so strangely. I always say I feel a little dizzy or make other lame excuse that I know he probably doesn't buy. I'm sure he thinks I'm becoming depressed sometimes, because he has told me more then once that I am distant on those days._

_I don't believe that I will ever be able to tell him exactly why I act the way I do. This is, after all, the same Bakura that skinned a cat just because he thought its mere presence was annoying. I fear that if I tell him that I am attracted to him, more then just sexually, that I would suffer a worse fate then that of the cat; I would lose what I have with him now._

_Bakura, to say the least, is not one of the easiest people to convince to trust you. I suppose that would make me lucky that he actually trusts me. I could never do such a thing as tell him how I feel and lose it. So I must sit here letting this newly growing feelings for him incubate and grow inside of me until I self-destruct. I must sit back from afar and watch the one I care for live his life, and that is all. It is what I must do even though I wish I did not have to suffer through it._

_Sometimes knowing such a fact makes me thing crazy things such as wishing that I had, had another roommate aside from Bakura, though I know that I would never change what I have with him for the world. Other times I find myself wishing that rather then having feelings for Bakura, that it would've been Ryou. Ryou would understand why I feel this way, even though in I do not myself. _

_There are so many thoughts like that, that pass through my mind. Not one of them do I really mean. I presume that it's some sort of perverse metal defense I didn't realize I have that makes me wish I didn't feel the way I always feel; that I have to make up lame wishes or excuses in order to make myself feel better about how the emotions I feel towards Bakura. Yet I myself do not know exactly what I feel for Bakura._

_ I know certain things, like I know I find him physically attractive, but on scales of looks Bakura's ideal for any guy or girl strait, gay or whatever. Bakura is just, beautiful. And I know that the feelings I have for him are not just a crush, or a silly childhood infatuation, admiration or anything like that. Still I know it is not love, either. Perhaps it is the beginnings of falling in love? I would not know, for I myself have never been in love. At least, I don't believe I have._

_Right now I label my feelings for him with an astounding question mark, one in which I know will be answered sooner or later. Preferably sooner rather then later, however. For the time being I have no idea what exactly I am going to about him. The best choice, I guess would be to keep doing what I have been doing; to be a friend to him. Or really, someone to lean on._

_I have always wondered, why is it that emotions are so complex? It would be so much easier if I could know exactly how he felt towards me. Though, even that I am afraid of. I am afraid of finding it that he is just using me because he knows I will give him comfort. I don't believe I could ever really handle that. I'm barely handling our 'relationship' as it is already. I'm becoming paranoid and afraid; questioning things that I would've never questioned in the past but most of all my biggest fear is changing._

_My biggest fear is changing to losing Bakura. My worst fear out of all the things I could fear would be to lose him. And that is one thing, I will never question, because I know why I fear to lose him so much. I fear losing him because he is the only one who even acts like they care. _

_That is the biggest misconception other's have made about him. They think he's thoughtless, incapable of the emotion we would call 'love' or 'affection'. I have only been close to him for a measly week. Already I can tell that he isn't as heartless as one would say. _

_I can tell from the peaceful look on his face when he sleeps. Perhaps it's even the fact that he conceders sleeping next to me at all, and even trusts me not to harm him as he slumbers. _

_The thought of actually hurting him baffles me at this point. Funny how one's opinion on a person can change with a few small incidents, isn't it? I used to be just like the rest of them. I used to think of him as nothing but a cold heartless bastard in which only gave a damn about himself. _

_Comforting me my first night had been the first thing to waver my thoughts on him. Then there was his story about Ryou. He had tried to hug him and was punished for it. Had I been Anzu, Yugi or my sister, I would've cried. All I could really do was feel sorry for them. Now the soft words he passes towards me, the feeling of his breath beating against my neck every night and the soft smell of his hair have completely changed my outlook on him._

_Bakura was anything but a heartless bastard. He was more like an angel. Granted, he might not be the pure kind of angel that hear normally think about, but one of those spoken of in the bible; the ones that where cased down to earth to punish those who have sinned._

_I suppose he's not too much like those angels. He has his free will after all and chooses it to quite openly torture those around him from time to time. Perhaps that would make him an angel of purgatory or maybe even a fallen angel. _

_Whatever he is I know he can care just as any other human, or spirit in his case. He's just not as open about it as others are._

Day Eight:

Waiting was always a pain. That was the thought that crossed Ryou's mind as he sat in the dim waiting room that smelled like a mix between fresh coffee and bleach. A rather sickening smell, it was. The place itself had always made Ryou feel uncomfortable. It had an atmosphere that made his nerves go haywire. 

Before he hadn't had to come and visit the place too often. But that was before, and now he had a friend and his darker half locked away in this place. That meant he was obligated to spend twice as much time in there as he had originally intended. Just wonderful. 

With a heave of a sigh, the albino boy rested his head on the back of the old walls of the institution. It was going to be a while before nurse even came to see whom he was visiting, then another decade before they actually showed him to his room. Or that's what it had felt like at least. 

Through thick brown lashes, Ryou looked upwards at the clock then sighed again. He had already been there for forty minutes and suspected it would probably take at least another two hours before he was able to get back into the room. 

Hospitals, he hated them; even more so the ones for the mentally ill. They seemed to drag out everything four times longer then they really needed to just so they could make you sit on your butt, which would defiantly be numb by the end of it, and waste your days away. It was annoying to say the least.

He shifted in his seat finding the normally unbearably uncomfortable chair even more uncomfortable then before. He was nervous about seeing Jou again. Seeing Bakura locked up in that straitjacket wasting his life away was bad enough, but seeing Jou go through the same sort of torment, minus the jacket of course, was just as sickening if not more.

In Ryou's mind Jou was perhaps the only slightly sane one in the world. He wasn't delusional or naïve like all of the others where. He acted like an idiot and made people laugh to make their life better, not his. If it made Jou himself feel any better he wouldn't be depressed and suicidal. He didn't deserve to be there because he was the only one of the group that would accept that they didn't enjoy their life.

A deep frown placed itself on his face, as he let his eyes slip closed in thought. Even he wouldn't accept that he didn't enjoy his life. So Ryou kept telling himself he was happy or things like Bakura was better off without him around. He blamed Bakura getting placed here on himself, even though it was clear it was all Malik's doing.

But he couldn't help but think that maybe if he hadn't pushed his darker side away, that maybe he would've been able to save him.  

"Bakura, Ryou?" one of the nurses called to him. He titled his head upwards to look in her face. It was the same blonde nurse he usually saw. If memory served him, her name was Alexandria.

"Yes?" Ryou said questioningly. He shifted in his chair a little too roughly. It squeaked against the linoleum floors and it glided not too gracefully across the floor. 

"Mr. Jounouchi has just finished his session for the day," She replied pleasantly. Ryou wondered how all of the nurses here could walk about with a smile on their face. The patients where unhappy. Most of them wanted to end their life before staying another minute in that place. Not like they where actually given the choice themselves, so he supposed it didn't matter how everyone felt here. Not to the doctors and 'drods' as Bakura so very well puts it. "Follow me."

He pushed himself up from the chair, still frowning. Alexandria was smiling like a housewife on a cheep sixties show. Secretly, Ryou wished her face would stick like that just so she'd have to live with the embracement of it. 

The last thought made his brows furrow in thought. Loosing two of the people close to him to this place had turned him bitter. Maybe he would be next.

They stopped in front of one of the many doors. 206, that's what the silver numbers on the door had said. He blinked. 

"Miss?" He questioned as she went to open the door.

"What is it?" She turned back to him looking at him with that fake smile of hers. He wanted to rip that smile off, wanted to yell at her for all she and everyone here had put her through. He decided against it. 

"This is Bakura's room, I'm here to see Jounouchi Katsuya," He stated matter-of-factly.

"They're roommates," She said. Ryou swore he saw her teeth glisten for a second. 

He muttered a slight 'oh', brushing past her. There was no need for her stay with him while he talked to a friend. 

Jounouchi was on Bakura's side of the room, smiling fondly as he pulled the covers over the sleeping, and shivering, form of Bakura. Those calloused, abused fingers of his running over the side of his cheek before pulling away. Ryou wanted someone to look at him like that.

He turned to face Ryou, jumping. "Ryou!" He cried his breathing heavy from the shock, "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Terribly sorry," the silver haired boy muttered the small apology. He lowered his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. "I did not mean to startle you."

"Don't worry about it," Katsuya replied cheerfully. The grin Ryou knew all too well was on his face. It was fake, and he knew it. Not the fake the smiles the nurses and doctors carried. Jou's was pleasant.

It was a grin in which was meant to make people happy. The sight of it made Ryou want to cry.

Coffee orbs fixed themselves on the floor. He didn't want to look at that grin. He didn't want to see the benevolence of it. "You don't have to pretend to be happy around me, Jou," He spoke almost sadly.

Ryou felt a comforting hand place itself on his shoulder. He looked up into the soft honey-kissed eyes of Jounouchi. He was still smiling, but a true smile now. (1)

"Come on, sit down," Jou said, his hand now in the small of Ryou's back, guiding him to the bed. "You'll have to wait for Bakura to wake up, though I suspect it won't be too long now. He's been asleep all afternoon."

"I'm not here to see Bakura," The silver haired boy stated simply. Jou blinked his amber orbs, a finger pointing at his own chest as if to say 'me?'. A chuckle escaped Ryou's lips. "Yes, of course you, silly."

"Has it been awful for you here?" He asked. The smile on the blonde's lips faded, dissolving into a frown. "I'm sorry I didn't mean t—" He stopped when he felt a calloused finger press up against his lips. Mentally he found it funny how placing a finger on one's lips always stopped them mid-sentence.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Again Jou smiled, removing his lips from the silver haired boy's lips. "I've been better and I've been worse. I guess that say I've been alright here. I'd prefer not to be, but I have Bakura, and I enjoy his company."

"Everyone's worried about you, you know?" Ryou said with a small sigh.

The blonde looked at him incredulously. "If they're worried they can come see me themselves," Katsuya scrunched his nose as he said that. His 'friends' where worried about him. The thought of it was comforting. Deep down he couldn't help but feel that they didn't care enough to take time out of their days to see him, further proving his inquisitions on how his friends really didn't give a damn. 

However Ryou was there. He was sitting before him. He looked worried. He cared and Jounouchi was thankful for it. 

"They don't want to see you like this, Jou," Ryou stated defensively. He was always the sweet one. The one that would believe in what everyone did or said no matter what. Yugi was the same, but Yugi wasn't there. He couldn't be quite as sweet as everyone thought then, could he?

"So they send you to see me instead?" Jou snapped, his amber eyes glowing with the same fierce fire that he had when he fought Kaiba. Ryou couldn't look into those eyes. "And what exactly do you mean 'like this'? Am I that repulsive? I'll have you know I haven't felt better for quite a while." 

Silence. That was all that Ryou could luster up as a comeback. He couldn't defend himself or his friends. Jounouchi was one of them; he was hurt that they wouldn't see him. And he had ever right to say everything he just had.

Still Ryou could not help the stabbing pain at his heart. Perhaps he belonged in such a place along with them. He wasn't happy with his life. At times he even wanted to die. 

Now, now he felt as if everything he touched withered away. First Bakura, now Jounouchi and the others are slowly breaking down along with them. 

Frail hands went up to cradle Ryou's face. He cried in his own hands. He cried because he couldn't take any more of this. 

"Ryou?" Jou asked softly. He swallowed a lump that somehow seemed to developed deep in his throat suddenly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," he said softly. He let his arms wrap around the crying boy, hugging him tightly. "I'm just not in a good mood today, okay?"

There was no reply, but it wasn't a bad thing. Instead of speaking Ryou removed his arms from his face, tangling them around the blonde before him in an attempt to return the hug. 

They sat there for an hour though Ryou had only cried for a few short minutes. He cradled himself in the gentle arms of Jounouchi, falling into the soothing strokes on his back. He had needed that.

It had been a good six hours since Ryou had left, now nearing the deep parts of the night. Bakura looked upon the blonde on the other side of his room from his bed. He was quiet tonight. 

The silence unnerved him, made the hairs on his body stand on end. There was a disconnected look on Jounouchi's face, and that bothered Bakura. He had, had it since his lighter half had left.

So he kept asking himself what exactly Ryou had done. Hell, he had to have done something. Jounouchi had passed on dinner that night. If you knew Jou you knew that him skipping a meal was as abnormal as snow in 100-degree weather. 

"Are you alright?" Bakura asked, furrowing his brows at the detached blonde. 

Jou looked up at him only letting out a small 'hmm?'

"Are you alright?" The spirit repeated, the fact he was annoyed with having to do so clearly showing in his voice.

"I'm fine," The blonde replied, putting on a small fake smile to help convince Bakura that he wasn't lying. "I've just got a small headache, that's all."

"You're a bad liar, Katsuya," Bakura spat not bothering to hide the fact that he was getting angry. He didn't understand why Katsuya even bothered lying to him at all. Most of the time, he let it slide even though it did anger him.

Honey eyes closed thoughtfully as a small sigh escaped Jou's lips. "I'm worried about Ryou, that's all. He cried a lot today," He spoke in half-whispers, not sure if he wanted Bakura to hear. Of course Bakura's hearing was impeccable, so he heard ever word.

The spirit vacated the bed, walking the familiar small steps over to the others. Eight steps. That's how long it took to get from his bed to Jounouchi's. 

He plopped himself down beside the blonde, the bed making a small 'squeak' upon receiving the added weight. "Don't worry about Ryou, he'll be fine," Bakura stated causing the other to blink in bewilderment. He still wasn't used to Bakura acting kind sometimes. "You need to look after yourself anyways."

A small smile placed itself on Katsuya's lips. He looked at Bakura in amazement. He was really trying to cheer him up. In a way it was sweet. "What?" The spirit asked feeling uncomfortable beneath the heavy gaze. He didn't like being watched, not one bit but Jounouchi seemed to enjoy doing it.

"Turn around," Jou said softly. He could see Bakura wanted to question his request so he added, "you'll see soon enough." With a silver eyebrow raised, the silver haired spirit complied, turning so his back faced the blonde.

He could feel one of the many buckles of his straitjacket come undone. Heat rushed to his cheeks, his mind taking things father then it should've. "What are you doing?" Bakura snapped, fidgeting slightly.

"Relax, I'm just getting one of your arms out," Jou stated matter-of-factly.

"Why only one?" Bakura asked, giving Jou a mock glare over his shoulder.

"Because if I give you two, you'll probably strangle me in my sleep," The blonde teased causing Bakura to chuckle faintly. He would've protest, had in not been true. At least if the person beside him was someone else. 

Chills ran up his spine as the second buckle came undone. He could feel the coarse hands pushing the rough fabric off one of his shoulders. "I'll have to put it back on in the morning, you know?" Jou whispered softly, taking the new released hand into his. His fingered weaved with the others, holding it securely. 

"I know," Bakura replied in the same soft tone Jou had used. 

The retreated into the same position they always did. This time their hands locked tight with Bakura's head snuggled against the clothed chest. He didn't even think about removing the rest of the jacket himself.

Day Twelve:

The soft sound of sobs broke Jounouchi away from his thoughts. The only person in the room aside from himself was Bakura, so that would mean he was either crying without knowing it or the spirit himself was crying. He placed his hand upon his own cheeks to reveal if it was dry.

"Bakura?" the blonde asked, pushing himself off his own bed and approaching that of the aforementioned silver haired man. He frowned slightly; he could've sworn Bakura had been asleep.

But there the spirit was, knees tucked up to his chest, hair over eyes, with his body shaking in harsh sobs. Inadvertently he extended its hand letting it fall upon the frail man's cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing lightly over it in the pattern of a circle in an effort to calm the other. 

With the sharp breath Bakura stopped his crying, mostly out of shock then anything else. He turned his head to look Jou, expecting to see the normally smiling face but was greeted by a troubled version instead. He though for a moment thinking of something to say, do or anything really, but nothing came. "Did I wake you?" was the only thing he could think of.

"It's passed two Bakura, I've been awake for a while," Jou said simply. The hurt tone of voice he held did not go unnoticed by Bakura. He knew that he was the one that made the tone surface, and he relished in it. 

There was a silent pause, in which Katsuya took the chance to try to comfort him in a way words could not. He lied beside him, his arms wrapped around his chest. He face pushed into the crook of his neck where he breathes caressed, nourished the skin there. 

The muscles of Bakura's body tense. But it did not stop him from falling into the embrace. An embrace in which he found himself becoming addicted to. "I hate you," Bakura said harshly, yet breathlessly. 

He meant it. He hated Jou. He hated the compassion being showed to him. He hated how it felt so comfortably sinful to be lying in those welcoming arms. But he hated himself for wanting something more then what he had. He hated everything given to him, but he craved so much more.

He was a greedy child, teased with a gift from God when he had not anything. There was nothing to suffice the greed once it surfaced. 

"You've made me weak in ways that I have killed others for," he continued on, his breathing harsh, thick. He found himself drowning further into the embrace. It was a deathtrap, one in which he did not wish to escape.  

"Are you always as nice to everyone as you are to me, as you where to Ryou?" Bakura asked Katsuya. His mind was on fire now with the rage of self-resentment. He was going to burn himself, but there was no turning back. 

As he spoke he began to become angry. The words like poison needles full of deadly oleander, piercing and killing slowly. "Of course you are, you're perfect in ways that no one else could ever be. You're the like the Jesus those damned Christians speak of. One who forgives and welcomes all into his embrace."

"That's what you are, Katsuya." He was drunk on his anger; his own self hate and he was taking it out on another. For once that actually mattered to him, and it only fed the fire of anger, letting it become fiercer, more powerful with every stinging word.

"Your love and kindness is charity," Bakura slipped his eyes closed feeling the calloused but gentle hands of Katsuya rubbing his arms affectionately. He shuddered,  "and it eats me away like a fatal toxin."

'I am selfish and sinful, I wash my hands in your kindness as I have washed my hands in blood, harvesting it for no other to touch' a tear rolled down his cheek. Those thoughts ashamed him but they where thoughts he could not help but think. He was breaking down, soon to be of no use to anyone. He had to reside in the kindness of the blonde, wash himself in it. 

"Bakura," Jou said almost apologetically. He crawled over Bakura. He towered over him so there was no place he could look beside himself, his head rested upon the soft pillow of silver hair.

Those russet cavers of eyes where beautiful washed up in tears. Jou could feel Bakura tremble beneath him, his body shaking in the ever-constant sobs.

There where so many things that he wanted to say at the moment. 'You're beautiful even when you cry,' he thought to himself but dare not speak it aloud. Instead he just let his arms rest around him, hugging him tightly.

Then he placed a small kiss atop the other's forehead, and Bakura let his eyes fall closed as they did so. Jou couldn't help the incredible urge that came over him then.

One kiss on the forehead wasn't satisfying enough. He placed another kiss on the silver haired spirit's face, this time kissing the tears away. At this he earned a blush, one in which he could not see but was sure he was there.

The urge didn't leave him. He couldn't help it, he wanted kiss him more. There was a strange sort of burning inside of him. He didn't want to stop. Jou lifted his face away, pushing himself up with the ball of his hands.

Bakura opened his eyes again, blinking confused. He couldn't comprehend the look on the blonde's face right now. "Katsuya?" he whispered, feeling himself blush as Jou lowered his face.

One last kiss was given to Bakura. One that was soft and sweet, but only a second placed right on his lips. He wanted it to last longer. He wanted to kiss him again. To devour his mouth and body completely in the passion that he was feeling. 

Reality had come back to Jou then. He had just kissed Bakura, when he had promised himself he wouldn't do it. He had promised himself he wouldn't ruin what he had with him. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he had just done what he swore to himself he wouldn't do. Bakura looked at him with a shocked expression, eyes wide and face red. Surly it wouldn't be long before he would hurt him, kick him off of him or reject him in an even more harsh way.

The only sensible thing he could do was getting out before it happened. "I'm sorry," he muttered his apology sadly, vacating the bed and all but running outside of the room. He couldn't face the rejection.

In the room Bakura sat up on his bed. His lips where tingling and had he had a free hand to touch them, he would've. A sudden feeling of utter loneliness had washed over him. Jou had kissed him, regretted it and left him alone.

He threw himself back on the pillows, and went back to sleep. They both slept alone that night, Bakura alone in the room, and Jou on one of the many couches in the hall. 

Bakura wanted to hurt himself. He wanted to see the blood pour out of his veins and onto the sickeningly sterile sheets of his bed. It was a want, no, not a want, a need in which could not be granted. 

This place smothered and killed. This place was such a place that something as simple as contentment of life did not exist. For what have the insane and sinners of the world done to merit such a treat? Nothing at all. So they suffer endlessly. 

~*~*~

(1) That came out wrong. So all of you know, Ryou's supposed to have a strong admiration for Katsuya. It came out looking like Ryou has a crush, but no, he doesn't. 

How many people want a lemon for this? For those of you who do, I'll make you a deal. If I get up to eighty reviews by the time this story is finished, I will post an extra side chapter from Bakura's point of view with the link to the lemon. Sound good? 

I think in the second scene I got a little too insightful, ne? Tell me what you think.


	4. Conception

Chapter Four: Conception

_Idiot! I can't believe I just did that. All of that time I had spent telling myself that I wouldn't do things like that was lost. There was no point in trying to protect what I had anymore. Surly I had destroyed whatever trust Bakura had, had in me with a single kiss. He would never be able to look at me the same way nor will I be able to look at myself. I had taken advantage of the vulnerable state he was in. He shouldn't have trusted me. _

_Really, I shouldn't have trusted myself. I should've known something like this would happen sooner or later. It was inevitable with him so close by all the time. How I ever thought I could resist pulling him close to me, kissing his lips that were easily within my reach. It had been naïve of me to believe I would hold back._

_How could I have suppressed these feelings? He had done nothing in order to make them go away. In fact he only made them grow stronger, even unknowing that he was doing so. Unaware of what he was doing he let me get closer to him, he nourished these feelings inside of me until I could hold them back no longer._

_The feeling of my arms around him as he so openly wept before me was what had sent me over. The unquenchable thirst to silence his suffering had taken over me. I had acted merely on instinct. What self-destructive instincts I have! If only I had not let my mind become clouded by the soft lull of his breath, or the heave of his chest as he sobbed helplessly._

"Katsuya?"

_The way he had said his name still runs through my mind. I couldn't tell his the tone in his voice. Was it wonderment? Disgust? Hate? Shame? Confusion? Surprise? Not single one of them seemed to fit. Perhaps it was a large sum of a many emotions put into the single bout of my name. That one simple word, my own name, was the one thing I had even been vaguely aware of… at least until I had kissed him._

_Though I was fully aware of what I was doing by the time I had pressed my lips against his, I hadn't realized exactly whom I was doing it to. All my mind would register was the softness of the lips I had been longing to claim, the breath that mingled with my own as it drew sharply out from his mouth. At that moment nothing else had really mattered to me. _

_Then I realized exactly whom I was doing all of this to. I panicked. How could I not? Bakura was never known as one of the more friendly of creatures. If I had stayed there he would surely pummel me, even without his arms. Not that I didn't deserve it… it's human nature to protect oneself. No matter how deserving I was of whatever he had planned on doing, my body and mind had told me to run. So I did. The two of them combined out weighs how I feel in my heart. After all, human nature is what controls us all._

_Unconsciously my hand has slipped up, my fingers now touching my lips. The sweet prickling sensation is still coursing through them. Part of me wonders what would've happened if I had hesitated just a few seconds longer. That part of me wonders if I had stayed, would he have returned my kiss or rejected me? I have a feeling that is also the suicidal part of me that seems to still be lingering inside of me._

_ Funny, I would've thought I would've been rid of it by now. _

Day Seventeen

Over the course of five days something had been seriously bothering Bakura. Jounouchi had been avoiding him. Knowing that was a constant tug on the back of his mind, a not-so-friendly reminder that he should get up and do something about it. Bakura didn't enjoy being ignored even in the slightest bit. 

Nor did he like the spaced out look that constantly lingered over the blonde's features. Those normally bright, full-of-life-and-energy honey brown eyes darkened a great bit as they stared off at nothing; it was like Katsuya had become a doll. He always seemed as if his mind was somewhere far away, locked up into the deep depths of his own mind.

It was really beginning to irk Bakura. He could understand why Jounouchi would distance himself if he had a chance to explain how he felt about what had happened. That was if he had, had the chance. Ever since the blonde had returned to the room the next morning he had not spoken a word. The nurses seem to think that his condition is becoming worse by the second. And to anyone who happened to look upon the blonde at that very time would think the same. That was only one more thing to rub Bakura the wrong way.

The only time the spirit was able to use to calm his nerves were times like this, when Jounouchi was in a session with Dr. Tenmai. The small amount of time he spent there was spent relaxing his muscles in minds in order to prevent himself from the self-induced heart attack he was sure would be creeping up on him. Technically it wouldn't be self-induced given the fact the reason he was so uptight was certain beyond frustrating, blonde roommate of his. If something such as that would indeed happen, he would be sure to haunt that damned blonde bastards ass. At that point, if the mentioned blonde got any worse, he would be hoping for it.

Brown as slipped close as Bakura found he lost himself inside his own head. He was acting just as Jounouchi had been recently. Minus the vacant expression, that is. Worrying about him had turned the spirit exactly like him. He frowned at that. Maybe he had been locked up in this place for too long. He was starting to become soft.

A sudden creaking coming from the door made Bakura snap away from his thoughts. His eyes opened looking at if possible an even deader looking version of Jounouchi then what had left the room just an hour ago. Jou's face was pale from what Bakura assumed was lack of sleep, from the highly noticeable bags underneath his eyes. Faintly, he noted how the blonde seemed to be having trouble walking. Ever couple of steps Jou would pause as if he was about to pass out at any second. "You okay?" Bakura asked looking over the blonde once again. He really _was_ a mess. 

Jou looked over at him, giving him a week smile. "I'm fine," he muttered softly. The expression that appeared on Bakura's face was that of total disbelief. Of course Jou wasn't fine. He looked like a train had hit him! Bakura's uneasy gaze made Jou sweat visibly. "I'm fine!" He said again, though this time a lot louder then the previous one. He knew Bakura wouldn't believe him anyways, but he just had to say it. He knew he wasn't fine. Jou knew he wasn't fine at all. His head was spinning with an intensity that made the muscles in his stomach clench. He hadn't slept or ate in days. All the nurses along with Dr. Tenmai were worried about his conditions. And quite frankly, Jou was afraid for himself with them.

A sudden wave of dizziness passed over Jounouchi. He felt like he was suffering from heroin withdrawal all over again. There was a steady aching throb in his head, ringing in his ears. He clenched his teeth to help fight it down. "Ech…" the sharp sound of pain squeezed through his clenched teeth. 

"Jou?" Bakura said softly. His voice sounded so distant, like he was yelling from the other side of a long hall and not just a few feet away. Everything was going black and soon the cries of Bakura were unheard. 

There was small thump as Jounouchi collapsed on the floor. Bakura's eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Baka!" He yelled, "Don't pass out on me! I can't do anything to help…" His voice trailed off a bit at the end. He got off the bed as fast as he could and ran to the door, cursing the fact that he couldn't open it. Bakura lifted his foot thankful it wasn't a doorknob he had to turn. Once he pulled it open some he stuck his other foot in the way so it wouldn't close then went to find the nearest nurse.

~*~*~

The slightest shiver ran through Jounouchi's body as he slowly came back to consciousness. There was something cold atop his forehead. That was the first thing he noticed aside from the splitting headache he had. However, he had had that prior to passing out. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't on the floor as he should be, but indeed he was lying atop a bed that he presumed to be his own. 

"Bakura?" He groaned out, sitting up. Sitting up was definitely not a good idea. A similar feeling of vertigo came upon him. Nope, really shouldn't have sat up. He opened his eyes, but couldn't see anything aside from a blur. Yet Jou could tell that there was someone sitting next to them. He could feel it. He fell back onto the bed with a soft 'plunk' vaguely wondering if the person beside him was Bakura or not.

"Baka," the word sounded distant, but there was no way he could mistake the harsh voice. The one next to him was undeniably Bakura and from the sounds of it, he wasn't too happy. "Baka…" he said again. That time it sound a lot clearer then the prior one, though Jou was sure it was merely a whisper. "You have got to be the most irrational, idiotic person I have ever met, Katsuya." Those words made Jou blink a bit. As he did things came into focus. Well, not completely, but everything was a lot less fuzzy then it had been before.

Amber eyes rested on the sharp features of Bakura. His eyes were darker then they normally were and a smirk was on his lips. As to what the spirit was thinking at that moment, Jounouchi was completely in the dark. "You never think before you make a decisions, even ones as ridiculous as not eating or sleeping for five days straight." Bakura was laughing darkly now. His chest rumbled with the deep guffaw. The scene made Jou shiver in fright. Bakura was defiantly at one of his more crazy points at the moment. One in which the blonde was not too happy with being on the receiving end. "You never conceder how your decisions might affect other people."

Those dark eyes trailed over Jounouchi, glaring intently. There was no denying it, Bakura looked beyond pissed. "I don't like being worried about you, Katsuya," he said dryly, the words in the form of a gruff murmur, "I don't like it, but I am. Baka, why do you have to be so nice to everyone all the time? Why couldn't you just act hateful towards me like everyone else does? It's not like it would matter to me, I'm used to it." 

The glare deepened, making the blonde squirm under its passion. It burned wherever it settled upon. "But you had to be nice. You had to _care _about how I felt. And for once I don't understand exactly what I'm supposed to do. I don't know how to take control of this situation. You've made me weak like no other person could," Bakura laughed again, his head shaking so his soft gray locks fell in his eyes. 

A little bit slower this time, Jounouchi sat up. There was the sharp sting in his head, telling him to lie back down. He paid it no heed. Bakura was trembling before his eyes. Jou didn't know what to make of it. He did the only thing that came to his mind, something that seemed to come naturally to him and even more so when it came to Bakura. He reached out and wrapped his arms around the shaking spirit, pulling him against his chest. He didn't know if there was anything more that he could do. 

"I hate you," Bakura stated plainly, the words coming out as if it, it were an everyday thing to say. For Bakura, it probably was. Nevertheless he let himself fall into the warm embrace of the blonde boy. It was so easy for him to let himself stay there. He didn't understand why, but it was. It was so easy to let himself be consumed by the warmth the other produced, the pleasure from his body just being near by. It was both comforting and exhilarating knowing that the blonde had no idea what was going on in his head right then.

Jou stared at the top of Bakura's head for a moment, sitting in silence. "I know," he finally said after the long pause then repeated it again, "I know…" Then Jounouchi's body tensed completely. He had felt the faintest brush of Bakura's lips against his neck. It was just an accident. They were close enough for something along those lines to happen. It _had_ to have been an accident and that was what Jou was going to believe.

Lips brushed against the skin of his neck again. This time they were more apparent, pressing themselves for a lingering second before pulling away to relocate themselves. The kisses became more aggressive, pushing themselves in a bruising manner over every millimeter of soft flesh they could find. The rough teeth that they concealed would pick at the skin leaving small purple-red marks wherever they wished. Once Bakura bit too hard, piercing the flesh they were so relentlessly attacking. Jounouchi could feel Bakura's lips quirk upwards into a smug smirk against the nape of his neck. His warm tongue darted across the blood-damped skin, just grazing it enough to lap up the blood and nothing more. 

Finally Jou regained his sense of control. He pushed Bakura away so he could look into his cavernous black-brown eyes. His hands were shaking against the spirit's shoulders, holding him back with the weakest of force. Red tinted the skin of his cheeks showing how flustered the insistent ministrations had left him though not indicating the warm feeling he had in his chest and his gut. "W-what… are… you doing…?" Jounouchi asked, panting out the words. 

"Giving you everything you've denied yourself of," the statement that left the spirit's lips was simple and to the point. "Don't you like it?" Bakura asked, his voice husky, deep and still but a whisper. Easily he had gotten past the arms holding him back. Katsuya wasn't even trying to hold him back. He wanted every little bit of everything that Bakura had to offer him.

A small whimper was extracted from Jounouchi's throat as Bakura's mouth came in contact with his own. He froze again. Those lips were demanding, pushing up against his mouth harshly but moving slowly to torture him. Honey-hued eyes fluttered closed as a moan escaped from Jou. He could feel the sensation squeezing at his heart, its invisible hands tightening around it, urging him to give in. He turned his head to the side, drawing himself away from the divine tormenting kiss of Bakura. "You don't have to do this for me…" He murmured only loud enough for his voice to reach the spirit's ears. 

The sound of an amused chuckle filled the room. Bakura drew near to Jounouchi's ear, letting his breath fall upon the shell before he spoke. "Did I ever say that I was doing this for you?" He chuckled again, mocking the blonde for assuming such things. "I am giving you what you want, there is no mistaking that. However it's just an added bonus. Really all I am doing is taking what I want, what you have denied me of as you have denied yourself." The scornful tone had left his voice replacing it with one of raw blandishment. "I want you, Katsuya." 

Inevitably those blunt words made Katsuya shiver. They were words that he had never expected to hear Bakura says yet they had been clearly said and now out in the open for the blonde to bask in their lavish promise. He let himself fall onto the warm softness of his bed, gazing up at Bakura with his now submissive ocher orbs. If Bakura wanted it and he, himself wanted it, there was no reason for him to deny either of them any longer. "Do as you wish," he whispered, looking right into the other's eyes, "I will no longer stop you." 

The sounds of movements were heard as the silver haired spirit made his way over the laying blonde, his legs straddling the submissive one's waist. "Glad to hear it," Bakura replied in a low voice, letting his head dip down to capture Katsuya's lips just as roughly as before. The kiss was slow like the unfinished first one with Bakura's lips relentlessly pushing themselves against the slightly parted ones of Jou's. This was going to be dragged out as far as Bakura could get it. 

He caught the blonde's upper lip in-between his teeth, letting his tongue roll across it. He kept their eyes locked the whole time, watching every bit of the reaction he got out of Jou. Honey eyes flickered into the back of Jou's head as he let out a small moan. Satisfied with that reaction Bakura let the said boy's lip roll out of his teeth, not letting the contact between their eyes break. 

"Tease," Jou muttered through hard breaths. Bakura smirked again, quite pleased with the reaction he was getting. He brought the fair-haired boy into another kiss, this time letting it go further then the last ones. It wasn't slow, but rather fast and passionate causing both of their eyes to flutter closed. Gradually the kiss became something slower, softer and heaven forbid, almost gentle. It wasn't originally how Bakura had intended it to be. Annoyed with himself, he jammed his knee into Jou's thigh.

The blonde pulled back from this kiss, letting out a small hiss. "Ow! What was that for?" He shrieked letting his eyes narrow rather angrily. 

"For making me care about you, that's what!" Bakura yelled back at him, his own eyes narrowing mockingly. 

Jou could only stare at him. The glare that he had been maintaining slowly faded away. He turned his head to the side so he was looking at Bakura from the corner of his eye. "Couldn't you wait?" he asked.

"Of course not," Bakura said. He had intended it to sound a lot harsher then how it had came out. "Right now I can't decide whether or not I would rather fuck you or beat you."

"If you can't decided, do both!" Jounouchi snapped feeling a little more then annoyed with the fact that Bakura choose this moment to become confused. To say it wasn't the best of times would be an understatement. Jou could still feel the affect of the spirit's body being fully pressed against him coursing through his veins. It was beginning to get quite uncomfortable inside of his pants. The sudden sound of laughter made his eyes narrow. "What?"

Bakura shook his head, letting silver strands of hair fall into his face. "I never thought you the masochistic kind Katsuya," he said with an amused grin on his face before laughing again.

"Just shut up and touch me already."

The demanding tone of voice Jounouchi had chosen to use caused Bakura to raise a fine silver eyebrow. He nodded his head downwards to the straightjacket that currently confined him and said, "If you haven't noticed my hands are still sort of preoccupied." Amber eyes blinked for a moment until an adorable look came across Jou's face, showing that he had indeed forgotten about it.

His hands moved up behind Bakura's back, working their way to the belt-buckles, which held the jacket close. Jou took this time to sneak in another kiss, pressing his lips firmly against the mouth of Bakura. His lips along with his teeth were already parted, inviting the spirit to consume him in a kiss. Willingly, Bakura slipped his tongue inside, brushing it across the of the blonde's mouth.

One part was undone and eager hands moved onto the next. The lightly heated air hit the silver haired spirit's back, causing him to shudder. He began to kiss Jou more brutally, adding a harsh force to draw small moans of pleasure out of the other's throat. The second part came undone exposing more of his back to the warm air. The sounds he had craved for fell into his mouth which muffled them, but he could hear them ringing inside of his ears. And as the soft mewls of bliss reached his ears the last buckle holding him back was undone. Bakura pulled away as the straightjacket in which had confined him for so long was pulling off of his body.

A wide array of scars greeted the honey-brown eyes of Jounouchi. They completely covered the pale white flesh, coming in every shape and size the blonde could possible think of. He took a moment to view the site before him, the disfigured flesh, the way the dirty gray locks of hair fell upon them, then unsure look in Bakura's black-brown eyes. He studied them all, mesmerizing the shape and length of each of the scars as he ran his fingers over them. 

There was one particularly long one that ran from the upper part of Bakura's inner arm all the way down to the end of his wrist. Jounouchi let his fingers trail over them, brushing by in a feather-light manner. He vaguely noted the sharp breath Bakura let in as he did so. "Did you do these yourself?" the blonde asked letting his fingers trail up the scar again before heading back down.

"Do you think anyone else would've gotten close enough to cut me this many times?" Bakura asked him, trying to suppress another shiver as the placid ministrations on his arm continued. He failed in doing so, shivering into the gentle touch.

The comment made Jounouchi blink. "I suppose not," he answered smiling lightly. It had been the first time in a while Bakura had seen Jou truly smile at him. The small action had made a rush of warmth pass over him and again he shuddered. 

"Yes, I did them myself," Bakura whispered. He hadn't understood why he had done so, but the tone had seemed to suit the mood entirely. A mood in which somehow had gone from aggressively passionate to soothingly loving. A transition in which made no sense in Bakura's mind, he wasn't used to acting this way. Yet it was a perfect fit to how he felt he should act around Jounouchi. How could he be rough with someone so kind? He chuckled slightly to himself. The soft titter was left unquestioned this time. Jou understood exactly why he was laughing.

The said blonde wrapped his fingers around the slender arm his fingers had been brushing against. He brought closer to his face affectively pulling the Bakura closer to him. Jou's lips brushed lightly against the scar, admiring how it felt against his lips. He had been expecting it to be course since it was so large and wide, but it nothing like that at all. He trailed his lips over it again, the second of many kisses to come. A trail in which the scar was the path to their final destination, each one kiss planted softly upon it. Once at the top Jou released the arm, letting it fall limply beside him. His hands reached forward, cupping both sides of Bakura's face. He placed the last of his planned kisses against the soft lips there, and then whispered against them, "You're crazy."

A small laugh escaped Bakura's lips. His hands reached for the shirt in which covered Jounouchi's chest, taking the ends and pulling them over the aforementioned blonde's head. He let his fingers brush over the smooth flesh in a similar fashion, as Katsuya had done to him before. He lowered his lips to claim the others again, pausing for a brief moment to mutter two small words, "You're beautiful." 

The space between them closed in a soft kiss, both of their mouths shut. Small jolts of electricity raced through both of them as the closed mouthed kiss continued. They weren't the same jolts of passion they had experienced before. No, they were quite different. They were something else, something sweet that sent comforting warmth through out their veins. It was indescribable.

They parted, staying silent for a while with their eyes locked. Jounouchi was searching for something in those near black eyes. He himself didn't fully understand what he was looking for; he just knew it was something. After a while he had stopped, letting the words fall of his tongue naturally, "I love you." He hadn't known where it had come from, but what was said he wouldn't deny. 

The silver haired spirit's eyes widened considerably. Instinctively he had jerked away, not out of disgust but rather out of utter surprise. Whatever it was that he had been expecting the searching blonde to say it defiantly hadn't been those three words. "Katsuya…?" He whispered unsure of what he should say. 

Jounouchi just looked at him, quite unsure of what how to act right then himself. "Bakura… I think I love you…" Again the words fell of his tongue easily and for a moment all they could do was look at each other. 

~*~*~

Oh look! My Bakura/Jounouchi is off too. *twitches* I hoped everyone enjoyed it despite my lack of creativity this time around. It's so much shorter then I wanted it… Oh well. I do hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. As you can probably tell the lemon, if written, will be a continuation of this chapter. Which is why it's so short to begin with. Umm… I tried to explain things a little more for Bakura this chapter. I hope that worked. Drop me a line, comment, question, suggestion or just plain say hello! 


	5. Evolution

Jounouchi's POV is at the bottom this time around. Only one chapter and the epilogue are left after this. Oh, just so you know, you get to further experience the oddity that is their relationship in this chapter.

Chapter Five: Evolution

Days Seventeen (continued)

Jounouchi just looked at him, quite unsure of what how to act right then himself. "Bakura… I think I love you…" Again the words fell of his tongue easily and for a moment, all they could do was look at each other.

"I…" For once in his life Bakura was in a complete state of shock. Time had seemed to slow down at that moment to where it was almost at a complete standstill. The first time Jounouchi had said it, he had thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. The second time, there was no mistaking it. Jou had just confessed his love for him. What was he supposed to say to that? Bakura couldn't tell him he loved him back. Hell, the spirit wasn't even sure if he knew _how_ to love. The only thing he could do was convinced the blonde boy that he was delusional. "You don't love me Katsuya," he said in his normal malicious tone, "I assure you, you can't love me…" 

"And I assure you that I do," Jou snapped back at him. It wasn't meant to come out in such a way. But given the tone Bakura had chosen to use to tell him how he felt just then, that's how it came out; full of malice he knew nothing of.

Black-brown eyes belonging to the silver haired spirit narrowed. He spoke sternly, "No." Why was he trying to convince Katsuya that he didn't feel the way that he felt? Bakura didn't know. It seemed to be some unknown desire to protect the blonde from himself. Had it been anyone else he would've probably laughed in their face, thrown the words back at them in the cruelest of ways and enjoy watching them fall to the floor in a sorrowful mass of flesh. But with Jounouchi…

"Why is it so hard for you to accept? Does the thought of me being in love with you repulse you? I would think it's a little late for that!" Katsuya yelled, abruptly cutting off any train of thought Bakura had going. A shy pause then, "Do I repulse you?" He asked softly sounding as if he were hesitant to ask in the first place. 

His body tensed when he felt two lips upon his own. It was so unexpected, the reassuring way that they moved against his and even the way the kiss had come about. In then end, Jou had been the one to pull away, shocking the spirit a bit. "No Katsuya… far from it…" Bakura near whispered, not bothering to move himself any farther away from the blonde then they were already.

In one swift motion he had grasped the sides of Bakura's arms, hurling him around so he was now laying underneath the tall blonde rather then over him. Almost out of the blue, Jounouchi had reversed their positions. "Then what's is your problem?" He asked, shouting. He was almost to the point of hysterics at that moment. What Bakura had been saying, the way he acted, none of it made sense to him.

Of course that wasn't about to change either. "You shouldn't love me," Bakura said rather firmly, set off with a childish display of the white haired spirit sticking his tongue out. The way the atmosphere around the two changed was highly laughable. It had gone from hot and heavy, to loving, to angry then to utterly childish and senseless. Though wherever the two hotheaded males were concerned, such paroxysmal behavior was redundant. 

"And why not?" Jounouchi hissed the question. He glared down ferociously at the immature male. He had the irking feeling that this so-called-argument would somehow end up in an anything goes, all out pinching and eye poking fight. It wasn't exactly something that Jounouchi was particularly looking foreword to.

"I'm not exactly the type of person anyone should love!" By that time Bakura had also resorted to shouting hysterically. Yet the seemingly childish manner he did it in was about as close to utterly adorable the psychotic white haired man could ever hope to come. "Let alone someone such as yourself." That last part was a bolt from the blue in which left Jounouchi shocked beyond all belief. 

This had given Bakura the opportunity to reverse the situation once again. Using a similar method as Jou had done minutes ago, the said male once again found himself lying atop of the unsuspecting blonde. 

The sudden shift in positions had knock Katsuya out of his state of shock. His honey-hued eyes blinked several times before he finally asked, "And how exactly are you not the type?" Indeed Jou had a nagging suspicion that it had something to do with Bakura's rather sadistic ways and the poor, poor small animals that where normally on the receiving end of it. Well, small animals and small children.

Bakura growled in frustration. Katsuya was quite the stubborn one. At that he wanted nothing more then to strangle the life out of the blonde. Fortunately he refrained and settled for digging his fingernails into the said boy's shoulders. Jou didn't even seem to notice. "Because of things I've done, Katsuya!" the silver haired spirit near screamed, "I don't deserve your love. I deserve to die rather then to be loved."

"Bakura…" Jou whispered, once again changing the atmosphere around them.

"And what would Yugi think of you falling in love with the likes of me?" The question had made Jounouchi twitch quite visibly. He hadn't heard the name of any of his friends for a while now. Hearing it then seemed…strange. He didn't know how to react to that.

He was filled with a sudden rush of rage. Jou didn't want to hear the names of his friends. That is, if he could even call them friends anymore. Not one of them aside from Ryou had come to visit them. They hadn't even bothered to contact him. Why the hell should he care what Yugi would think? "I don't care about what you may and may not have done or the what you believe you do or do not deserve!" Katsuya was right up in Bakura's face, yelling as ferociously as he could possibly manage, "I know who are you are to me, and how you've acted around me, there isn't anything else that really matters. As for what Yugi thinks, I don't really give a damn!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Bakura shouted back with an equal intensity. The blonde beneath him cringed a bit but didn't back down and seeing how Bakura was just as stubborn or more so, he wasn't about to either. 

Jou didn't understand exactly _why_ Bakura was being so instant on this. If he was in love with Bakura that was his own choice and it wasn't about to change because of what Bakura thinks he knows. "I know what I'm talking about! Would you like me to say it again? I lov-" He rant was cut short. The hand of the white-haired spirit was clamped tightly over his mouth, making him unable to finish what he was going to say.

"Don't…" Bakura warned, "Just don't…" He pulled his hand away as he left his spot on the bed. "You should get some rest."

Unexpectedly, though he really should have been expecting it, Bakura found he was pulled back onto the bed. He was lying onto of the very blonde who had put him in the position with Jou's arms securely wrapped around his chest. Bakura could feel each breath taken against the side of his neck along with the lips they came from. "Baka! I don't need to rest!" Jounouchi exclaimed in the form of a harsh whisper.

Bakura couldn't suppress a shudder. As Katsuya spoke his lips brushed up against the spot on Bakura's neck they rested upon. It only gave Jou the opportunity to tighten the hold on the spirit. "Stop being so stubborn, dog boy. You need rest…" he hissed the words but did not struggle to free himself from the other's grasp.

A noise of shock was heard coming from Jounouchi. If there was one thing he hated, it was to be called a dog. And for some reason there were too a lot of people who seemed to enjoy referring to him as one. He cringed at the unpleasant memories that came along with the alleged nickname. "I'm not a dog, ass!" the blonde snapped bitterly.

He forced Bakura to turn around and look at him, the overt fury evident in his eyes. Much as the other had done to him before, Jou dug his fingernails into the shoulders of Bakura. He however, pierced the skin letting large rivulets of blood seep from the wounds and trickle down the spirit's arms. Bakura winced at the outburst of violence. "Ow! Baka stop it!" he yelled. Jou didn't bother too respond, he was far too angry. 

Luckily for Bakura he was still able to reach Katsuya's arms. He grabbed one of them, twisting it until Jou yelped in pain. "Ow!" the blonde jerked his arm away as fast as he could. He looked at his arm to see if it was all right, then shook his head. There was a highly visible imprint of Bakura's hand where he had grabbed him. Feeling satisfied with himself, Bakura leaned in for another kiss. 

As soon as he got close got close Jounouchi growled, biting down on his lip. The spirit twitched pulling away. One of his hands rose up to feel his lips. When he looked at it again it had a small drop of blood on it. "Didn't your master every tell you not to bite, mutt?" 

At this Jounouchi could only growl more. He really abhorred being called a dog. Though the fact that he growled constantly and just bit Bakura didn't help his case in the slightest way. "I'm not a dog!" He yelled back in Bakura's face.

"Then stop acting like one!" Bakura snapped back, narrowing his eyes at the irritated blonde. 

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

Jou took a moment to blink. Then with a small sigh he crossed his arms over his chest, pouting rather childishly. "Fine! Ugh!" He said snorting much like a twelve-year-old boy arguing with his mother about something that was most likely absurd, would. Bakura could only laugh at him genuinely amused with the way that Jounouchi had chosen to react to this situation. 

The said blonde male glared at the white haired spirit, pouting once again as Bakura only continued to laugh. After a few more seconds Jou finally got fed up with the laughter (or more accurately the fact that Bakura was laughing at him), he raised his hand and smacked the spirit's arm. 

"Ow! Hey!" Bakura snapped at him rubbing his arm. In truth it hadn't hurt at all since Jounouchi had chosen to hit him more 'playfully' then anything.

"Mosquito," a grin spread across Katsuya's lips as he said that. Bakura only glared. 

"I hate you," he said for the second time that day, only to get the exact same reply. 

"I know," Jou replied. His smile had since then softened from the victorious (not to mention immature) grin it had been in before and was now more genuine. He exhaled noisily, the smile fading from his lips. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. 

Bakura blinked at him for a moment. What did have to be sorry for? Mentally he shrugged it off. Katsuya was odd like that at times. "You shouldn't be…" Bakura replied, poking Jou's arm. The blonde raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, 'oh?'. In return he got one that said, 'if you can be childish, so can I.'

And for a moment, all they did was look at each other. In the end Bakura was the one to say something, shifting from his spot on Jounouchi's bed to make it easier to leave it. "You should go to sleep now," he suggested as he got off of the bed.

"Okay…" Katsuya replied. With that Bakura turned to leave.

As Bakura was walking away he was stopped but Jounouchi grabbing onto his arm. The grip was light enough. If he wanted to he could easily brush it off. That is, if he wanted to. "Stay… please…" the small plea from behind had made him stay. Jou normally wasn't the type to beg, but it was clear that he was right then.

"I…" Nothing was allowed to be said for soon Bakura felt himself pulled into a kiss. Katsuya's hand was still placed on his arm, creating a small force to hold him there. The other hand was entwined with the unwashed gray locks of hair, insuring that Bakura wouldn't pull away. Jou's tongue easily slips past Bakura's loosely shut lips, brushing against his teeth which part for him. The fair-haired spirit's arms lay limply at his sides, unsure of what he should do. He shivered when Jou's tongue swept across the roof of his mouth, something the blonde would be sure to remember for later use.

Once again Bakura felt himself being lowered to the bed by the forceful hands of Jounouchi as the equal forceful tongue thrill his mouth. Well aware of the fact that Bakura wasn't likely to respond, Jou pulled away. "Stay…" he said again. This time it was not a plea but more of a demand.

Those honey-hued eyes where searching Bakura's own for some sort of an answer yet all he got was the distant expression. Jou let his hands drop from the positions in which they had been giving up and willing to let Bakura go back to his own bed. "All right…" the small whisper had caught Katsuya off guard. Yet not near as much as the kiss that followed it. 

Yet again Jou found himself at the mercy of the ferocious spirit as his tongue relentlessly raided his mouth. The slender but calloused hands roamed his body, running over Jou's back letting the equally slim fingers dance upon the skin. They trailed further down slipping themselves behind the elastic waistband of sweatpants the hospital had provided, tugging them downwards. 

The assault on Katsuya's mouth ended with a harsh tug on the lip, ripping the flesh open at one part so bright red blood trickled down from it. The tear had erected a sharp his from the blonde's mouth. With a satisfied smirk Bakura proceeded to lap up the previously mentioned stream of blood. A trail of wet kisses followed creating a path from his lips down to his chin, up his jaw and back again. From there they traveled down to Jou's neck pressing against the tender skin firmly, leaving behind light lip shaped bruises. Bakura's eyeteeth grazed across the surface of the blonde's shoulder extracting hisses, shrieks and moans from the other's throat. 

As the lips proceeded to ravish the smooth chest Bakura's hands busied themselves elsewhere. His fingers had curled around the band of Jou's sweatpants, rolling them down slowly to enrapture the boy, but never give him enough to satisfy. He wanted to tantalize Katsuya until he begged. Bakura had made his way down to the sleek torso area, thrusting his tongue in and out of Jou's navel in a crude display of what's to come.

He pulled the sweatpants a little lower, so that they were pooled around Jounouchi's knees. Bakura retreated from devouring the blonde in vigorous kisses spread across his body, pulling himself upwards as he finished the removal of the annoying sweatpants. They discarded carelessly on the floor. He once more dominated the blonde's mouth with heated kisses. Whether or not they were full on, leave-you-breathless or soft and sweet closed mouth kisses was determined at random. "Bakura?" Jou whispered in-between the wide array of kisses.

Bakura pulled away, just enough so he could look into the other's caramel colored eyes, "Hmm?"

"I love you," Katsuya said softly, pressing a soft kiss on the other's lips. Surprisingly there were no objections this time, no yelling or fighting. Just the feel of two lips against his own, that was all.

The dark eyes of the silver haired spirit blinked as he pulled away. Bakura was unsure of what to say yet again. He wasn't as stunned this time around, so saying something was an oddly more difficult task then the first time around. He just searched for something to say, gazing into the other's features. A small sigh escaped his lips before he finally said, "…I love you too, Katsuya."

"Really?" Jou all but squeaked. Truly he hadn't been expecting it… though he wasn't exactly expecting anything. If anything he had suspected to be silenced again. 

"I don't know," Bakura said. His hand reached up, brushing a few locks of hair away from Jounouchi's eyes. Much to his dismay they fell back in place as if to mock him. He didn't need stubborn stands of hair to tell him he wasn't good at this romantic seme gig. "But I could try." 

"Re-"

"Katsuya," the spirit snapped, letting his eyes narrow, "if you don't shut up not only will I take it back but I'll beat you until you're blind, deaf, paralyzed and in a coma."

At this Jou could do nothing but laugh. Of course this only caused Bakura's glare to strengthen. "Fair enough," was the only thing he said before he was pulled into another kiss.

Day Eighteen

Another day had approached. This one starting of much better then the last. Jounouchi had felt slightly more energize having gained a lot of rest from passing out from sheer exhaustion twice the day before. It wasn't the best way to get sleep, but hey, it seemed to work. At least he wasn't fainting randomly anymore. 

Despite the amount of forced sleep he had gotten, Jounouchi still felt like crap. Sure he had that little bit of extra energy but it didn't stop him from getting dizzy or dragging his feet along everywhere he had to walk. It would probably lessen once he got some food in his system. Seeing how he just woke up ten minutes ago and it was now time for his daily visit to Dr. Tenmai, it would be a few hours before he would be able to eat.

He approached the office and walked into the door. Not through, but right into it. Jou took a step back, almost falling over in the process. "What the…?" he muttered rubbing his throbbing nose. Katsuya looked down at the door, glaring at it for a second as if it had been all its fault. He blinked, "Oh right…got to open first… oops…"

When he opened the door the unusually cheery face of Deneen greeted him. He never did understand exactly _how_ she could always seem so happy all of the time. "Hey there, Jounouchi," she greeted merrily, "you're looking much better today. Did you finally get some sleep?"

"A little," Jou replied sitting down on the couch that was waiting for him. "What did you want to talk about today?"

"I was actually wanted to discuss the possibilities of you having BPD."

"BPD?"

"It's short for 'Borderline Personality Disorder'," She explained in a fairly monotone fashion. Doctors always seemed to get that way when saying something that their patients most likely wouldn't enjoy hearing about. "People suffering from BPD often experience often experience a repetitive pattern of disorganization and instability in mood, self-image, behavior and close personal relationships. Some, or more technically, most of the patients with BPD are often smart or appear to have warm personalities. This appearance is maintained for years at a time until it crumbles. Though I suppose I should be getting to the symptoms, hmm?

"Symptoms of BPD have been broken down into four groups: affect, cognition, impulse action patterns and impersonal relationships. Let's start with affect. Affect ten symptoms all together: chronic or major depression, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, anger, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and emptiness. Next would be cognition, which has four symptoms: odd thinking, unusual perceptions, nondelusional paranoia, and quasipsychosis. Thirdly we have impulse action patterns. There are four again here: substance abuse or dependence, sexual deviance, manipulative suicide gestures, and other impulsive behaviors. Last there's impersonal relationships containing ten symptoms: intolerance of aloneness, abandonment, engulfment and annihilation fears, counter dependency, stormy relationships, manipulativeness, dependency, devaluation, masochism or sadism, demandingness, and finally, entitlement.

"All of these are fairly common in human behavior so it is really hard to tell when a person has BPD. However, Jounouchi, you suffer from many of these symptoms in more severe ways then most do. Not only that but BPD cannot stand on its own since it has no 'pure' form. There are only a small number of things that help bring BPD about, you have two of the more common ones. Jounouchi, you told me before that your father abused you physically up until a few months ago. 75% of children either sexual or physically abused developed BPD. The other one you have is substance abuse, which 54% of substance abusers have BPD."

"So you really think I have it?" Jounouchi asked, leaning back against the couch. Deneen only nodded her head. "How do you treat it?"

"I can't give you any medications aside from the ones you're already on, they should help a bit but not much. It's going to take years of out-patient therapy and even then I can't guarantee it will be cured," she said sighing, "I'll switch you over to out-patient care in ten days. I don't want to release you without out being completely sure that this is what's going on."

_Sometime while I was "fighting" with Bakura, I realized something: I couldn't fight with him. Apparently that works vise-versa also otherwise it would've ended up something other then a childish brawl._

_There is one thing completely undeniable about the way we had acted that day. It was fun, more fun than I had had in a long while. How many people will allow you to take all your pent up stress out on them while letting you laugh as you did it? I understood then better then I had before exactly why I was so attracted to Bakura. _

_He's not as he has said "the type that shouldn't be loved". When he wants to he lets himself go and has some fun. Not very many people know how to do that now days. Everyone is always worried about what the "mature" thing to do is. With Bakura it's different, obviously. He's lived as long as he has and he can still act like a four year old if he feels like it._

_Of course it's not like Bakura always acts like a four year old. As I'm sure he's proved many times, he could be rather frightening if he wishes to be. After all he isn't exactly the sanest of people. He **did** skin a cat for no reason. I still feel sorry for that cat…_

_I suppose that's not really the point I'm trying to make. I'm attracted to Bakura, aside from the obvious he's drop dead gorgeous reason, because unlike everyone else I am not obligated to give him anything and same on this end too. If there's anything that the other wants, we just take it. Well, at least Bakura does apparently. I on the other hand am a stubborn ass who will sit there and drive myself crazy with my wants until Bakura smacks some sense into me. Sometimes quite literally too, though normally he just settles for name-calling. _

_I know we don't exactly have what most would conceder a healthy relationship. I'm not even sure if we **do** conceder what we have a relationship but at least we don't let our aggravations with each other stay inside, growing larger and larger until we die of a self-induced heart attack as some couple seem to do. (Or some people in the case of that bastard Kaiba. I can already see the headlines: "Kaiba Corp. CEO dead! Stress really can kill!".)_

_ We fight and bicker in the oddest of manners as most could very well see but we do have our "special" moments. The moments where Bakura shows a side of him I'm sure not many others have seen. That is if anyone else has at all. When he wants to he can be fairly gentle, though his gentle side is still rough. I wouldn't expect any different of him._

_But it's in those moments where my heart races the fastest and my palms sweat the most. I become unnaturally nervous in mind but for some reason my body seems to react fine. I'm beyond thankful for that. I've already made an idiot out of myself more then once. And certainly don't need the help of my less then functional brain to make it worse._

_I wonder what goes on in his mind sometimes. Bakura seems to change so suddenly… I don't know if I'll ever be able to understand it, but I suppose I can hope._

~*~*~

I lied in the previous chapter. If there were a lemon to be written for this story it would take place at the end of this chapter, which is technically just the second part of the last chapter. Umm, I have to say I was quite disappointed with the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter. I think the popularity I had is diminishing. (Though Just Insane reviewed and I was so happy I bounced around my room and ran straight into the door) Oh well, at the very least I'll write something for Taito-kisses, Renee the Rabid Squirrel and Chibi-chan since the three are always so nice to me in reviews. ~_^ I always love reading them. I love you guys.

Um yes, that was still a bit on the off side. Oh well. Sorry to use two chapters on one day. The next and final chapter is going to be quite long though. Don't expect it for at least another month, however. ^_^ I'm going to go through and fix all the typos I make while not paying attention. 


	6. Liberation

I am so sorry this is late. I wasn't planning on it to take me two months to get this out! I've had the worst series of writer's block. I get rid of it then it comes back twice as bad as it originally was. It wouldn't have taken so long if I had just forced it out but I didn't want to give you all something crappy

I would like to thank all of those lovely people who reviewed C.R.B.K.E., Cynthia Chen, Bakura's Baby, Bluesummers, DuesExMachina, Ezra (whom I am still overly happy about) Hana no Ceres (Your reviews made my day! *pokes Tohma drawing*), Taboo, Kitt Sseh, Renee the Rabid Squirrel, OxBeachFlirtxO1, Taito Kisses, Nieni Woodland, Chibi-chan, Ishishi, Dark Tatsu, Suguishi, Borris533, Googuru no Shoujo, Sage of Darkness, Escachick, CelesLuvsYugi, Dirge, sTaR SnIpEr, Fallen, CobaltPrincess, Ice Moon, Dragondreamer Yami Dragon, Aznsilhouette247, Chibizoo, P-chan, Sincere Angel, and Ada Lee. Thank you all so much! I wasn't expecting this to get as many reviews as it has. I am very glad it did this well.

I'm trying to answer as many questions as possible in this chapter. Of course the question that everyone wants to know (How Seto knew and why did he help Jounouchi?) shall not be answer until the epilogue.

Chapter Six: Liberation 

As much as I hate to admit it now, Kaiba actually did me some good by sending me to this place. Not only have I met Bakura (who Ryou now says is perfect for me because we're both brash and irrational. I'm still trying not to be offended by the comment) but he also help give me my life back.

Before I hadn't noticed it but heroin really had destroyed my life. Or at least snatch it away from me. I thought of it as a release from the world when it really was stopping me from realizing that my life wasn't so bad. Sure I don't have the greatest life but it's a whole hell of a lot better then some people have it.  

Sure I could do without the abusive father, the problems with my parents, and the fact that Shizuka lives so far away. But you know, it's not as if my father ever tried to kill me or threw me on the street like most people would think. I should've realized that I still had people that care for me.  I still have a hard time believing about Yug and all them since they never did show at the hospital. Though I suppose I can understand now. It was rough on Ryou to come visit us since he hated seeing us that was; that and the fact that he couldn't do anything about it.

One thing that I really hate Kaiba for is—well I still hate Kaiba for a lot but I mean the thing about this situation—I hate the fact that now I'm indebted to him. He saw that I needed help when I refused to see it myself. Not only did he see that I needed it he got me that same help. Now I owe the stupid bastard. I wouldn't be surprised if he planned it that way either. 

Each day I spend with Bakura it only makes me realize exactly how much happier I am. The happier I am the more I realize that Kaiba caused that happiness. Damn rich pig drives me insane. I don't **want** to owe my happiness to him. He's one of the reasons that I was so damn unhappy in the first place—which only proves to make the fact that I owe him all the much more ironic. Fucking bastard probably enjoys every last second of it too.

As half-grateful I am for getting my life back (Freshly washed and waxed so it shines! Look! It's water repellant too!) doesn't change the fact that I'm going to pop him one the first time I see him. Calling me a damn mongrel in something as important as my mental institution admittance forms!  The guy really has some nerve. 

One thing that still bothers me great about those forms now that I think about it. And no, not just the dog thing. How the heck did Kaiba know all those things about me? It kind of creeps me out actually. Great, now I'm going to be to paranoid to deck him for his damned dog comments. Just so I don't feel like an idiot later I'll tag this as another "Kaiba's plans to ruin my life" situation. That way I'm not obligated to feel responsible for my own paranoia and all the while it gives me another reason to hold a grudge against the rich asshole. 

And I am** always** in need of a new reason to hold a grudge against Kaiba.

Day Twenty-Two

For the past forty minutes Jounouchi had been pacing back and forth. Really he had no reason to pace but for some reason the blonde was completely restless. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for the past four days. Actually Jou had taken to walking back and forth through the room quite a few times.

However at this point Bakura was just about to strangle the blonde. There was nothing more irritating then watching him. Actually he could think of quite a few things more irritating then Jounouchi's excessive pacing—at the moment however, Bakura really didn't care how much worse they were. The point was Jou's pacing was annoying.

"Would you stop that?" Bakura snapped. He let out a loud sigh when all the blonde did was turn his head towards him with an utterly clueless look on his face. It was as if Jou was trying to say 'stop what?' even though Bakura knew he knew what he was talking about. They had gone through this a lot recently. "Katsuya," Bakura added through clenched teeth, "Don't make me hurt you."

At this Jounouchi looked over at Bakura, looking thoroughly offended. "You would hit poor, innocent, defenseless me for doing something that I have no idea what you're talking about?" the blonde said in mock shock. 

"Poor, innocent, defenseless you my ass," Bakura hissed, "You have more ways to defend yourself with than I do hurting you. Don't even try to play the 'victim' with me. It'll get you nowhere." 

Jounouchi quirked an eyebrow at him, giving a small shrug of his shoulders and began to pace once again. Soon afterwards a loud shriek filled the small room followed by the slap of flesh hitting the ground. "Itai…" Jounouchi muttered rubbing his face. As soon as he was done with that he turned his head to the leg that had tripped him.

"Whoops, didn't know my leg was out there," Bakura 'apologized'. The tone of his voice told Jou that he didn't really mean it. It had been flat and almost mocking.  

"Do you always have to be so violent?" Jounouchi asked with a pout. He went back to soothing his swollen nose. To him it was quite a shock that he hadn't broken it. After all he had gone face first—or really, nose first—into the floor. 

"Do you really need me to answer that?" Bakura retorted, answering a question with a question. Jou rolled his eyes saying 'I guess not' in his own little way. He got up off the ground to start pacing again, only to be knocked over seconds later. 

This time Jounouchi didn't fall on the floor. At the last seconds he had made sure to turn his body so his face would hit the bed rather than tile. Instead it ended up hitting neither of the two. Jounouchi soon found himself with his face right on Bakura's lap, the spirit raising an eyebrow and smirking at him. "Don't even say anything," Jounouchi muttered knowing a comment about him being eager would be coming up if he didn't.

"Stop accusing me of things, I wasn't going to say anything," was the mocking reply. Jou could hear what Bakura really wanted to say hidden within those words. Saying them directly wasn't even really necessary. Jounouchi knew the spirit better than the spirit wanted to admit. 

There was a short silence in the room, one of the few times it was actually comfortable for the both of them. Normally silence between the two was smothering to the point where both thought they would suffocate if it stayed any longer. "What are you planning to do once you get out?" Bakura asked and the air in the room suddenly became thicker.

Jounouchi had been avoiding thinking about getting out. Getting out meant leaving Bakura in there alone. He had already tried faking more illnesses than he actually had but Deneen had right through him and told him it would do no good. He was better now and there was no longer any need for him to be admitted. "I haven't thought about it," he replied softly.

"You're going to sooner or later—preferably sooner than later. You only have six days left before you leave," Bakura poked him in the side. This caused Jounouchi to flinch not only at the poke but the words. He really didn't want to think about going home and Bakura was very well aware of that. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Katsuya," he said sternly, "do you at least know where you're going to be staying?"

The blonde blinked, talking a moment to think about that. In all honesty he had no idea where he was going to stay. Really, the only place he had to go was back to his father's house or maybe getting a job and living on his own. However living on his own didn't exactly seem to appealing after having a 'roommate' he had grown far too attached to. "With you," Jounouchi answered after a while. 

Bakura slapped his forehead at this. Naturally, he didn't actually slap his forehead considering that his arms where still securely tucked away in the annoying white fabric bonds called a straight jacket. Smacking his forehead is just what Jounouchi imagined him doing at that moment. Of all the idiotic—not to mention impossible—things for Katsuya to say he had to say that. "You can't stay with me. If you haven't noticed the damned drods don't trust me enough to let me out of this straight jacket let alone out of the institute," he pointed out, rolling his dark eyes at the dense boy. 

"I know," Jou muttered in response to the rather snappish and rude reply he had gotten to that. But really being with Bakura was the only place he could think of wanting to be. Now that he thought about it there was always Honda or Yugi. They would sure to let him stay there, but he didn't know if he could take their pity. Yugi most of all would probably be extra careful around him since he had been suicidal and Honda... he had no idea what Honda would do. All in all that made for one very uncomfortable living arrangement either way.  

Of course Jounouchi wasn't given much time to contemplate this for Bakura's voice soon broke through any thoughts. "Then how are you going to stay with me? You've already tried faking illnesses and it hasn't worked!" the spirit said rather snappishly. It was hard for Jounouchi not to glare at this. It wasn't like it was his fault that he had no idea how it was going to work.  

The only way that staying with Bakura would work would be to get him out. A soft sigh escaped Katsuya's lips at this, his honey-hued eyes slipping closed, and his head resting against the silver-haired male's lap for a moment. Living with Bakura was a wonderful thought, indeed. It was a farfetched idea. How exactly was he going to get the spirit out? Still it was the only option he had if he wanted to spend more than a couple hours of time with Bakura. "I'll have to get you out than. Like I promised…" Jounouchi more whispered his thoughts aloud then actually told the spirit.

This caused Bakura to arch a fine silver eyebrow at the blonde. Whereas Katsuya could recall just about everything that happened between them, he was still a little bit on the fuzzy side. Most of the time he had been spent either trying to deny the fact that he actually enjoyed the blonde's company or trying to figure out how the idiot's brain worked. "Like you promised…?" He asked with his eyebrow still raised. 

Hurt by this, Jounouchi snapped his head up, glaring harshly at the silver haired male. It was sort of offending to that Bakura wouldn't remember something that he considered important. Then again Bakura was Bakura and that was giving the male a little too much credit. "Don't you remember? My fourth day in here, I promised you that I would get you out," he muttered bitterly.  

The spirit paused thoughtfully. Jounouchi swore that if he had had his arms free at the time, he would've been tapping his finger against his chin as he did so. At least that's what the expression on the other's face told him. Then Bakura got an expression on his face that one would expect him to suddenly yell out 'aha!' at the top of his lungs, but the exclamation never came. "I didn't think you were serious," whether or not this should offend Jou was beyond him.

He let out a loud groan, letting himself sink further into the other's lap. "Thanks a lot. It's nice to know you have so much faith in what I say," Jounouchi replied dryly smacking Bakura leg, "I meant what I said. I intend to go through with it." It was true. Jou had ever intention of falling through with that promise. How he was going to do so was the question. Silently he prayed that Bakura wouldn't ask him.

"Wonderful—genius—and how do you expect to get me out of here?" Apparently praying didn't work very well anymore. Now the silver-haired tomb robber was looking at him rather expectantly. The words 'it better be good' were evident in the dark depths of his brown eyes. It was rather intimidating to be under that expectant stare.  

Katsuya's eyebrow twitched. From the sounds of it Bakura had somehow managed to read his mind, asking the very question that he didn't want to be asked. But alas, this was Bakura. Such questions were made unavoidable because of that. The spirit seemed to make an unconscious effort to irritate everyone and everything around him. Either that or make them suffer then laugh evilly at their pain. "I don—"

"Thought so," Bakura interrupted much to Jounouchi annoyance. Why the hell couldn't he just let him speak? How did he know that the words coming out of his mouth would be "I don't know"? Of course that's what they were but that didn't mean that the blonde couldn't be irritated by the fact he was cut off. "You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep," the spirit stated matter-of-factly earning him another glare from the blonde boy with his head on his lap. 

"How do you know I can't?" Katsuya snapped right back at him. The glare was returned with equal force though one would have to admit that Bakura's was a lot more effective. The air around Jounouchi was just to warm whereas Bakura's didn't hide the fact that he would be willing to kill someone without even a second thought. Not that he had actually done that before…

While the answer to that question was still on 'pending' for Jou, Bakura seemed to have the exact answer. "Because there is no way," and he was completely sure of that, "That is unless by some miracle you happen to cure my murderous tendencies to get me out of the straightjacket then convince the drods that I should be released within the next six days, I highly down that's going to happen—love." The nickname was said more sarcastically, which caused the blonde to snort in reply. 

"You could at least try to be a little more supportive!" Jounouchi snapped at the other's attitude about the situation. Yet there he was with his head still buried in the tomb robber's lap, silently wishing that he could risk taking off the straightjacket as he had done once before. It was hard for him to be angry with Bakura. Actually it was growing harder and harder until the point where it was near impossible. Most of the time his anger boiled down into great annoyance, but it was never really true anger. 

"I prefer to be pessimistic." The answer made Jounouchi's eyebrow twitch. He shifted his position so he could once again look Bakura face to face. He wasn't surprised when his eyes met with the contented smirk that now adorned Bakura's lips. It was tempting to roll his eyes, but in the end Jou decided against it considering the other would probably kick him and he was in very close range.

It was frustrating that the spirit chose to not help him with his dilemma. After all it wasn't even just his. Last time he checked Bakura wasn't exactly too keen on being stuck in a straightjacket while in a mental institution for the rest of his life (both would admit it would be funny, since dying wasn't something Bakura was going to be doing any time soon).  "If there is, I'll find it," the blonde muttered. Even as he said those words, he wasn't quite sure if that was going to happen. How does one find a loophole to such a matter in six days? I didn't seem possible. 

"Oh yes and what will you do? Sleep with my doctor so he'll let me out?" Bakura asked not hesitating to roll his eyes. Yet his tone was completely serious. This comment made Jounouchi jolt upwards, looking eye-to-eye to with the spirit. Whether or not the spirit actually meant that was beyond him. His tone was completely serious—how trustable is that, exactly? Then he figured it out. 

Ah—yes—Jounouchi understood this very well. It was some sort of game that the spirit was playing. And the blonde would be damned if he didn't play along. His face was dead serious just as it had been the whole time he had been talking (one picks up a thing or do when you share a room with a psychotic ex-tomb robber). 

"If I have to, I will," it was a complete lie, naturally. More than anything Jounouchi was trying to see how his silver haired lover would react to him saying such things. Obviously not very well. Almost instantly Bakura's eyes narrowed into a hard glare. The thought that that was a lie hadn't even crossed his mind (though he should've known better than to think that Jounouchi would sleep with someone else—even with perfectly good and helpful reasons for doing so). 

All Bakura considered was this: he didn't like the thought of Katsuya being with someone else. Quite frankly, the thought actually angered him. "I was kidding," he said bitterly, leering at the blonde before him. 

This made Jounouchi break out in a smile. Heck, he even laughed a bit. It would seem Bakura was a little possessive of him. Not that he minded; he actually enjoyed the thought of having the spirit act so overly jealous at the smallest comment. Obviously from the 'what's so funny' look he was currently receiving Bakura didn't care too much for it. "So was I," he laughed at the 'you better be' look he got in reply.

With a small smile and a sigh Jounouchi leaned forward, brushing his lips lightly against Bakura's. "Good puppy," he twitched when he heard the nickname. It didn't matter how affectionately the name was said; Jou still hated it. It made him think of Kaiba and he did not enjoy thinking of Kaiba (also one of the major reasons why he wouldn't be able to sleep with Bakura's doctor. The guy looked too much like the rich bastard, even if he acted nothing like him). With a growl Katsuya snapped at Bakura's lip. "Haven't I told you not to bite?" the silver-haired male asked, the grin on his face telling Jou that he was enjoying this. 

"Then don't call me a puppy!" Jou grinned as he pushed Bakura down against the mattress, getting on top of him. He bent downwards, capturing the other's lips in a kiss that wasn't as chaste as the one that came before it, but not quite what the shorter of the two would want it to be. When they broke apart Katsuya tilted his head upwards to brush another kiss on the other's forehead.

"Katsuya… I hate this straightjacket," Bakura whispered as he had forgotten about the cloth bonds and tried to put his arms around the blonde. There was a small sigh heard though neither knew who it was from. It would've been fitting for both to sigh at that moment. 

"I know. I hate them too," Jounouchi whispered, pulling back with a sad smile. What he hated most about them is that he knew exactly how to get them off, yet he couldn't do so. They to do that late at night, when there would be little chance that a nurse would walk in though it was still very likely. That's why it had only been taken of that one time. Any more than that was too great a risk.

Alas, the air in the room had grown far too thick for Jounouchi's liking. One of the things that he hated the most was uncomfortable silence. Naturally this made him keen on breaking them.  "You have a very girly voice," Jou muttered with a large grin. (1) This earned him a death glare.

Next thing Katsuya knew he was on the floor, rubbing his now very sore bottom. It was then that Jounouchi made a mental note: Bakura some freakishly strong legs. "Mood killer…" Bakura snorted even though there really wasn't much of a mood to kill anyways. 

Day Twenty-Eight

"Well, Katsuya, everything seems to be in order," Deneen said happily, her mahogany eyes shining quite brightly as normal. In her arms was a large folder of papers (more correctly—medical records) with the label, "Jounouchi Katsuya: patient 05163" written on a piece of masking tape. "All you need is Bakura Ryou to show up and sign your release forms and you're well on your way," she informed him as she turned to the filing cabinet and slid the folder inside.

"Why exactly is Ryou able to sign me out?" Jounouchi asked blinking slightly, "Kaiba's the one who signed me in, shouldn't he be the one that has to sign me out?" At least that's what he figured. After all not only was the brunette the one who admitted him but he was also the one paying him. Logically, Ryou being able to sign for him didn't seem to make much sense.

Apparently he was missing something important because at the moment Deneen was practically beaming. "It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" She asked reaching for the file she had just put away. Seconds later the same file landed on the woman's desk with a loud smack. She flipped vigorously through pages to the admittance forms, turning them around for Jounouchi to see. "Bakura Ryou signed your paper work along with Motou Yugi because they figured you would be staying at one of their places. We also need a blood relative to sign saying that it was in your best interest to be admitted." At the bottom were four signatures. The obvious two: Kaiba Seto and Motou Yugi, followed by: Bakura Ryou, and then lastly: Jounouchi Shizuka. He blinked at the last one. Not only had Shizuka signed, but also right above it there was another name crossed out.

Curious Jounouchi pointed to do it, looking up at Deneen. "Why is that one crossed out?" He asked, squinting and trying to read it. From the looks of it that was a female's handwriting (from what he could see it was a lot 'curlier' and neat then that of a guys).

At this Deneen blinked a few times. She turned the paperwork back around so she could look at it. "Oh! That," she grinned slightly, silently knowing that Katsuya wasn't going to enjoy her answer, "your sister, Shizuka, accidentally sighed her name 'Kaiba Shizuka' the first time. Sweet gal, but a little on the absent minded side—I'd say."  

Jounouchi's eye twitched at this. Shizuka had signed her name Kaiba. He silently prayed that it was just some weird stage that most girls in Domino seem to go through rather than anything more than that. If it were anything more than that, well, Kaiba would find himself six feet under in no time. It was hard enough for Jou to accept Honda having a thing for his sister—he didn't even want to think about Kaiba. "If you would like you can go back to your room and wait for Ryou-san," Deneen informed politely.

It was obvious that she was using the other's first name as not to be confused with the Bakura that he shared a room with. Now that Jounouchi thought about the silver haired spirit, he was reminded that he had yet to find a way for him to get out. "Tenmai-san?" Jounouchi asked a little timidly. She 'hmmed' in response. "Do you think it would be possible to have Bakura come home with me?"

There was the sound of the folder hitting the desk for a second time. Deneen looked up at him with raised eyebrows and an exasperated expression. "Katsuya," she started getting that bland tone that doctors always do when they're about to tell you something you don't want to hear, "we've been over this. Dozens of times, might I add? There is no way I can get Bakura-san out of here. First of all he's not my patient, he's Yuki-san's. And second of all, Bakura isn't well enough to be out of that straightjacket let alone be released."

"You just don't know him well enough! He's fine! He's not as bad as all of you seem to think he is!" Jounouchi snapped back before he realized what he was doing.

This earned him a rather stern look from Deneen. "Katsuya, all of us here are aware of your feelings for Bakura," she stated. Her tone made Jounouchi feel like he was a five year old getting scolded by his parents for breaking their siblings toy. "Being that we do know of this it is our obligation to make sure that Bakura doesn't go home with you. Relationships between patients are deeply frowned upon—almost as much as between physician and patient—but we have chosen to ignore that the two of you are close in ways that you should not be simply because we all knew that you two would help each other. He may act differently towards you but that does not change the fact that he is dangerous to those around them. So I am afraid that neither Yuki-san nor I shall be releasing him anytime soon. Good day, Katsuya."

The blonde's mouth opened to protest what he was just told but quickly snapped shut again. There was no point in arguing about it. It wasn't as if he could do anything to change it. "Good day," Jounouchi said bitterly, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. He hated being talked to like that. He hated it almost as much as what Deneen had told him! A long sigh escaped his lips as he opened the door to the room he and Bakura shared or rather, used to share.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Bakura teased from his spot on his bed. From the sounds of it, the spirit was actually rather bored. In truth, he was. Without Jounouchi there to pick on and annoy among other things he had nothing in the room to keep him occupied. That was unless one counted staring at walls as 'something to do'. 

"I just got lectured," Jounouchi muttered, falling face first into the mattress beside Bakura. He could practically feel the 'pat pat' coming from the other. There was a soft mumbling of words coming from the mattress. The spirit blinked, poking Jounouchi's leg with his foot as if to tell him, 'baka your face is smothered by a bed—can't hear you'. Apparently Katsuya got this message for he lifted his head up. "Why is it so hard for them to release you?" he repeated before letting his face fall back against the mattress. 

A long 'oh' came from Bakura as he looked down at the blonde in distress. "I'll take it this means you haven't found a way to get me out of here yet?" he said a little more smugly then he should've given Jou's current state of mental disarray. This comment got him smacked in the arm—not very lightly either. "I told you it was pointless," this time the hit was a lot harder then the last one. Which was surprising because the last one had been pretty hard. 

"No, I haven't found a way to get you out yet," Jounouchi said, rolling over onto his back, "Just because I haven't doesn't mean I will. I may be out of the institute but that doesn't mean I can't find a way to get you out of here." This earned him a, 'care to explain?' look from Bakura. The blonde rolled his eyes at the other, sitting up right. "If I could explain it, I would. Trust me. But seeing how explaining it would most likely require a way of getting you out of here, it would appear that I am unable to do so at the moment—" a pause, "—don't you even say anything."

"Wasn't planning on it," Bakura replied with a small shrug. Actually he had been planning on saying something but seeing how it would only irritate the blonde, he decided not to. Not that he didn't enjoy making Jounouchi twitch in annoyance, he just felt that it would be nice if he toned it down a bit since it was the other's last day and all. "So when is Ryou going to be picking you up?" the spirit asked feeling the need for a change of subject.

"Any minute now," Jounouchi answered, looking over at the other with a raised eyebrow, "Why? What are you thinking?" For a second time Bakura shrugged in response. Seconds later he leaned in, kissing the other lightly with a small smirk. The kiss was short lived however for not but a moment later there was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

The two turned their head to look at the person who had interrupted him. Whereas Jounouchi grinned with his cheeks tinting the lightest shade of red, Bakura sneered at the one at the door. He didn't enjoy being interrupted, no matter what the reason for such the interruptions were. "I'm sorry," Ryou muttered with a small nervous smile on his lips, "Pardon my intrusion, I didn't know that you were… um…"

"It was just a kiss Ryou. Grow up," Bakura snapped at the small boy's embarrassment. This earned him a glare. Granted it wasn't a very effective glare since it was coming from Ryou, but it was a glare nonetheless. In a way it reminded Bakura of how Jounouchi tired to glare when he was extremely tired. Which ended up in the spirit scrunching his nose awkwardly. 

"Still!" Ryou yelped back at the spirit. Originally there had been more to go with that argument but eventually he had come to find the term "stubborn as a mule" seemed to be a fitting phrase for dealing with Bakura. So he just let out a small-annoyed huff before turning to Jounouchi. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure am," Jounouchi replied, "Just give a moment and I'll be there." As he went to say his goodbyes to Bakura something hit him. He had noticed it before, but now it had a great significance. Ryou and Bakura looked almost exactly a like. In fact, unless you knew which one was which, it would be impossible to tell them apart.

At that moment Katsuya was grinning like an idiot. It was so obvious! How had he not seen it before? If Bakura and Ryou were to switch clothing, he could get Bakura out. And it wasn't as if they could Ryou once everything was done and over with. He was mentally stable. Well, at least more stable than the other two.

That grin—which by the other two present couldn't be described as anything aside from creepy—earned him two very suspicious looks. "What exactly is going on in that crazy blonde head of yours?" Bakura asked, a little bit worried as to what the other might be thinking.

Jounouchi looked back and forth between the two before his eyes settled on Ryou. "Ryou, switch places with Bakura, pleased," Jounouchi pleaded using what one could only call 'puppy dog eyes'. This earned a string incoherent screaming from the spirit behind him and a rather disbelieving look from the other. There was no way that he had just said that.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Ryou shook his head vigorously as he started the seemingly never-ending mantra of 'no's. There was no way he was going to be switching places with Bakura. It just wasn't going to happen.

"Ryou!" Katsuya shot back feeling highly frustrated with the fair-haired boy. What was the big deal about switching places? It wasn't like he was asking him to cut off his arm and give it to Bakura. "Come on, it's just for a few hours, maybe a day tops. They'll figure it out sooner or later that you're not their patient. You and Bakura act nothing alike!"

No matter how much Jounouchi tried to convince him otherwise, Ryou was not willing to switch places. If something were to go wrong he could very well be stuck in the institute with them thinking he was Bakura. "You're forgetting one thing, Jounouchi. This is a psychiatric help clinic!" the small boy replied, "It doesn't matter how different Bakura and I act! With my luck they'll think he completely snapped when you left and developed another personality!"

For a moment all Bakura and Jounouchi did was look at him, blinking slightly. It was so very unlike Ryou to have such random outbursts. Though once they got past the initial shock of it, they both busted out in laughter. The silver-haired boy let out an exasperated sigh at the other two's childish behavior. He was completely serious about what he had said. Not that there was any point in trying to explain it. Jounouchi was just as bad as Bakura when it came to arguing. Though Ryou would have to admit that the blonde was easier because he was a little slower. "Come on Jounouchi, get your things we're leaving," he stated with a small frown. He had a feeling the ride back home wasn't going to be enjoyable even the slightest bit.

The statement from Ryou made all laughter stop instantaneously. Bakura muttered a small goodbye, plopping down onto his bed. Long goodbye always seemed to only provide to over dramatize the situation. However Jounouchi still had something else in mind. Now that he had found a way to get Bakura out, he wasn't going to leave without him. "Sorry Ryou," he said with a sad sort of smile, "I'm not going anywhere."

Next thing any of them knew Ryou was sprawled across the floor, unconscious. "Wow, did I actually hit the right spot?" Jounouchi asked looking at his own hands in dumb wonderment. He had seen the sort of thing done on TV and in movies quite a bit—not to mention since he had become friends with Yugi—but he had never tried to do it himself.

"Did you really just knock him out?" Bakura asked poking the passed out Ryou with his foot. "Apparently so," he answered his own question. It would seem that Ryou wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He looked over at the blonde, who was still looking at his hands fascinated, and glared fiercely. "First thing I'm doing when I get out of this damn thing is beating your ass."

"Wouldn't expect you to do otherwise," the blonde replied trying to sound nonchalant (and failing to do so) as he walked over the front of Ryou's body. His eye twitched slightly, caring him over into the bathroom was not going to be fun. It was something he had to do. At least that way if someone walked in they wouldn't find him striping Ryou. That would most likely just get him in the same position that he just got out of. Not that he would mind seeing how he didn't want to leave Bakura in the first place. But if things went as planned, that wouldn't be a problem anyways. 

With a groan, Jounouchi bent down, picking up the slender boy and throwing him over his shoulder. This caused Bakura to raise an eyebrow at him. Either Katsuya was a lot stronger than he let on or Ryou was just freakishly light. He silently decided it had to be the latter of the two. With a small smirk at that thought, Bakura followed the blonde and comatose boy into the bathroom. That wasn't before he shot a glance over his shoulder in order to make sure that no one was coming.

Jounouchi wasted no time in setting Ryou down. Before he started to undress the boy—very embarrassedly at that—he turned back to Bakura. There was still the matter of getting the other's straightjacket off before he could do anything.

Without really thinking he reached behind the spirit in order to do this. As his fingers fumbled with the straps on the back he could feel his breathing starting to quicken. In order to be able to reach he had to be fairly close to the other. Actually the were touching nose-to-nose at the moment with their eyes locked in an intense gaze. 

It was a relief for Jounouchi when he finished unfastening all of the straps. The closeness between them made him want to do rather inappropriate things to the other. He was very well aware that it probably wouldn't be the best of times to start a make out session. Even if the notion did sound very appealing. 

Almost as soon as the straightjacket hit the floor, Bakura had Jounouchi pinned up against the wall. He took a moment to look into the other's honey-hued eyes before closing the space between them in a passionate kiss. For a moment the knocked out Ryou lying on the bathroom floor was completely forgotten about as they lost themselves in the kiss.

However it didn't take long for the blonde to snap out of it. The instant Bakura's lips relocated themselves from his lips to the hallow of his throat (even though he tried not to, he ended up bending his head back with a small moan to give Bakura better access) he was very well aware of the fact that could wake up at any given moment.

"I thought you said you were going to beat my ass first," Katsuya murmured breathlessly, making a feeble attempt to push Bakura away from him. It felt far too good for him to push the other away whole heartedly without immediately regretting it afterwards. A small gasp came from Jounouchi's throat as Bakura's tongue brushed across one of the more sensitive spots on the part of his jaw closer to his ear.

The pathetic attempt Jounouchi made at pushing Bakura away made a smirk form on the spirit's lips. "I am. I just never said how I was going to beat your ass," he whispered huskily into the other's ear before nipping slightly on the lobe. The smirk only grew wider as Katsuya proceeded to whimper because of it.

"Well, in that case. You're still going to have to wait. We need to get out of here before Ryou wakes up," Jounouchi somehow managed as he pushed Bakura away. Naturally the other glared at him, but instead of doing anything more looked down at Ryou, who was still out on the floor.

"I still can't believe you hit him," Bakura muttered with a sadistic grin, shaking his head. Actually the fact that Jou had hit him amused him greatly. He didn't know that the blonde had it in him to hit any of his friends aside from Honda and even then it was only playfully (more often than not). 

At this Jounouchi scrunched his nose and snorted indigently. "Like I had a choice!" he snapped back with his arms crossed over his chest and his head turned to the side (nose stuck straight up in the air and all).

"Actually you did…" Bakura pointed out much to the blonde's dismay. It was true. He could've just left him there in the institute rather than knocking Ryou out and having him dragged into the bathroom. Of course Jounouchi preferred not to admit that as it insulted his intelligence quite a bit. Still in his mind he had only been keeping a promise even though that promise had never stated when he would get Bakura, just that he would eventually. And oh how Bakura loved to point that out. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Uh… yeah," Jounouchi replied looking down at Ryou. He really did feel bad about having to hit the silver-haired boy. However it did him no good trying to think about that now. With fairly red cheeks, the blonde knelt down besides Ryou, removing the other of his clothing as fast as he could. Each piece would then be tossed over his head at Bakura, who in turn would flick him because somehow all three garments (sweater, undershirt, and slacks) had managed to hit him in the face.

Once getting Ryou's clothing off it was onto the task of getting Bakura's old clothing on. As Jounouchi did this, he mentally cursed the fact that straightjackets seemed to have more belts, buckles, and straps than anything should ever be allowed. "Remind me to talk to Ryou about dressing like a fairy next time I see him," Bakura said with a loud groan, looking at the other's clothing in disgust.

"Escape now, complain later," Jounouchi snapped, snatching Bakura's hand. He promptly dragged the other out of the bathroom as quickly as he could, not bothering to move Ryou from his spot on the bathroom floor. It would take too much time to relocate the boy anyways. Just as quickly as he had scurried out of the bathroom he picked up his single bag of possessions that had been placed on his bed and preceded to drag Bakura out of the institute. 

Neither of them said anything until they got out of the building and back down to Ryou's car. Amazingly enough they had managed to get out of there with only a few of the nurses stopping them to say goodbye to Jounouchi. Even more amazing was how none of them seemed to notice who he was standing with. 

Bakura opened the door to the car after Katsuya unlocked it (with the keys that had been in Ryou's pants pocket, of course), quite annoyed with the fact that the blonde was refusing to let him drive. Naturally because of this he had to make some snide remark. Not that he would've done anything aside from that; this just gave him an excuse. "How the hell this idiotic plan of yours actually worked is beyond me," he stated indigently as he plopped himself down onto the seat.

"It was brilliant and you know it," Jounouchi replied with a large grin on his face. The grin grew large still present as he started the car. Part of him silently agreed with Bakura on the matter. It had been quite surprising that his plan had gone so smoothly, especially for something spur of the moment such as that had been.

"Just keep telling yourself that, Katsuya."

==============

(1) Yami no Bakura's Japanese voice is female for those who don't know. I had the Malik vs. Bakura episodes on in the background while I was writing! 

Editing didn't happen. I'll eventually get to it, but don't count on it for the epilogue. I'm a lazy ass and also have problems reading most of my longer works. But moving onto other things. Yes, that is the ending of White Padded Room. The grand total of length of this chapter was 13 pages like the first but 7,514 words. That's 1,382 words then the first and otherwise longest chapter. I do hope that everyone enjoyed this fiction! I enjoyed writing it! The epilogue should be posted soon enough. Sorry again for the wait!


	7. Epilogue: Recreation

Hey all, this is the final part of White Padded Room. I hope you all enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. This is fairly short compared to what you all are used to, but hey, what do you expect from an epilogue? This is from Bakura's point of view because I believed it would be interesting. Um, well, also because I know many of you want Bakura's insight on the their relationship. I tried not to keep him in character while tweaking his personality a bit. We now have a Bakura with far too much inner dialogue! How fun!

**Epilogue: Recreation**

Have you ever noticed things never turn out how you expect them? No matter what you do something is always different than what you expect them to be. For instance I expected the drods to be able to catch that I'm not Ryou (it's a little obvious. Honestly, some people). Somehow they still managed to believe I was him. I'm trying not to be offended. Over the years I have taken great pride in my ability to scare the shit out of people.

Another thing I never expected was what would happen after Blondie over there's ingenious (yeah right) plan was put to action. Never once did I expect that I would get out, end up living in a studio apartment with Katsuya, and work at a Starbucks. Yes that's right I—Yami no Bakura—work at a fucking Starbucks. Laugh it up while you get a chance because you'll die soon anyways.

How exactly did I end up working at an American coffee shop where as dog-boy ended up working at a videogame store (I'm sure everyone expected that one)? I have no idea. I just put in a few applications at places so Katsuya wouldn't have to get another job (it's hard to get laid when you only see your boyfriend for five hours a day in which he spends sleeping. And yes, I am aware that is a lame excuse) and applied here as a joke. Turns out Starbucks coffee pays more than any other place. Well, that and they're the only place that would be crazy enough to hire me. Caffeine impairs one's judgment apparently. 

Perhaps I should stop drinking it myself then. Like that'll ever happen. I believe the most addictive thing about coffee is the smell, actually. Or at least that's what Katsuya tells me. Okay so he actually tells me that my smell is addictive. Yet once you take into consideration the fact that I spend eight hours minimum surrounded by the stuff, I smell pretty much exactly like it. Thus the scent of coffee is addictive. I'd probably like it more if I hadn't been around it everyday for two months now.

Has it really been two months already? That would me Katsuya and I have been together somewhere around five months and thirteen days. Give or take a day of course. I take a moment to go back and recount the days. Correction: five months and two weeks.  Please tell me I don't know exactly how many days I've been with him. Actually, I would prefer not to know the answer to that. I think now I shall plunder into a state of a denial and go back to thinking about coffee.

Coffee; such a wonderful thing. How could we ever survive without coffee? I smack my head against the counter. If I were to hear anyways say what I just thought I would burst out laughing because quite bluntly, it's pathetic. Therefore that leaves me pathetic. Not only have I been unconsciously counting the days I have been with my boyfriend but also I have somehow developed a strange love for coffee. Yes, that does mean that I meant what I thought just a second ago. Pardon me while I smack my head against the counter some more. 

My forehead never hits the counter. Rather it ends up in a rather nice smelling palm. The scent of pine trees, such an interesting scent but it's nice. I think I could fall asleep with my head in this person's palm. Wait a second—I know this scent. I look up into the grinning face of the same boyfriend I've been seeing for five months and tw—let's not get into that again. 

"You know you should really try to think of the counter's feelings before you go smacking something as hard as your head against it," Katsuya mocks. I should've known something like that was coming. Some idiotic comments such as that one are common things to hear when you live with an idiot. There's no denying Katsuya is one. Then again I am the one who has been obsessing about coffee for the last ten minutes. I guess I'm really not one to talk. 

But at least now that I know whose hand this hand is I can fall asleep in it. Being that I am his boyfriend that gives me hand pillow rights. That is if there is such a thing. If not then there should be. "How is it that you always smell like pine nowadays? You never used to smell like it," after saying that I feel as if I should be smacking my head against the counter once again. Of course since a certain very nice (very, very, very nice) smelling hand is blocking my way it's rather impossible. I hate this hand. It keeps me from my masochistic ways.  

This, of course, brings on another subject. How exactly did I get to be the kind of person who would sit here, in a Starbucks, obsessing about their boyfriend's hand? Last time I checked I was the kind of person who would tear someone apart limb by limb and laugh while doing so. I think I might need to find some poor unsuspecting creatures to torture. Not a cat; never a cat. Last time I tortured a cat it put me in a straightjacket. I still shudder every time I think about that thing. But I suppose I'm getting off track here. The point is I am not the type of person who should be obsessing about the scent of a hand. Of course that doesn't stop me from doing so, but again that's not the point.

"I have a candle that I burn while I'm in the shower. It's calming," Katsuya's voice cuts through my thoughts. It takes a second for me to register that I had gone on another one of my mental rants while waiting for him to reply, and then another second for me to register exactly what he had just said. "I would prefer if you didn't comment on that," he states before I can say anything. The bastard, taking away my fun like that; it's uncalled for. 

Then a thought occurs to me: exactly what the hell is Katsuya doing here? If I remember correctly he doesn't have a long enough lunch break to drive over here and get something to eat. Expecting him to skip a meal is expecting far too much. If there's one thing that commands Katsuya that would be without a doubt: his stomach. Exactly how many people do you find that can somehow manage to eat at least three large meals a day, snack constantly, and still wish that they had more food? Not very many that don't way over three hundred pounds. 

I suppose asking myself this question will do me no go seeing how I'm not the one that has the answer to it. I believe I'm in dire need of figuring out how to control my inner monologue. It seems to get the better of me more often than not. "What are you doing here anyways?" He looks as if he's about to laugh as I ask him this. That's me for ya; blunt and to the point. I've never been any other way.

"I decided to take the rest of the day off," he answers. Did he really just that? Exactly why would he take the rest of the day off? "I figured that we needed to spend some time together anyways. It's been awhile since we've done anything during the day that didn't involve a bed." Either I had just voiced that last question out loud or Katsuya has suddenly developed the ability to read minds for he has just answered the question I last asked.

Yet I can't help but be a little flattered. Well, I don't know if I should be a flattered or offended. He actually _wants to do something during to day that doesn't involve a bed? Either I have apparently lost my superior abilities in the sac or Katsuya is starting to want something along the lines of a normal relationship. Considering that he was biting his fist to keep from screaming when I jumped him in the shower earlier today, I shall be assuming it's the latter of the two._

As sweet as the thought is (not that I would ever admit to that aloud since I am not the romantic type in spite of my earlier hand obsession) there is one major flaw in that plan. I still have to work. Naturally this makes me hate this coffee run hell more than I did before. Yet that still doesn't change the fact that I am overly addicted to the black substance. Damn caffeine. 

"Please explain to me exactly how we're going to spend time together when I have to work," I say, "I seem to have missed the part where that's possible."

He grins. Obviously I am missing something very important here. "Well, you're still going to work and I'm going to hang out here," he states. If you ask me that doesn't sound like very much fun and it's not like we can actually do much aside from talk. Oh dear lord please tell me he doesn't walk to talk. Talking is not my thing. Everyone should know that by now. When I talk I tend to get a little rambling and crazy. It's quite similar to what goes on inside of my head.

"Exactly why did you take time off work to do that?" I ask him because really, I don't see the point. Why would anyone in their right mind want to spend four hours sitting around in a coffee shop doing absolutely nothing but talking? As I take a quick look around the room I quickly revoke that statement. Apparently there are a lot of people that would to do nothing more than sit around in a coffee shop talking. Don't these people have lives?

"To keep you from trying anything," Katsuya states. I'm offended. Where in the world would he get the idea that I would try anything? Okay so maybe it's from the many times I've pulled him into bathroom stalls, abandoned rooms, and numerous other places (including a janitor's closet at Kaiba Land) for a little fun. But really, is that such a big deal? It's not like I was the only person who enjoyed it. As I have mentioned before I am very sure that Katsuya did. He tends to get quite vocal when he's enjoying himself.  "Do you have break coming up any time soon?" he asks; I quirk a brow at him. "Not for _that you sex crazed freak!"_

Now that hurt. I am not sex crazed. Okay so maybe just a little but that doesn't mean he has to go and point it out to me. I'm very well aware of the fact that I'm sex crazed. Ahem, just a little sex crazed that is. "Actually I have one coming up in about half an hour," I reply with a fake sigh of disappoint (okay, so maybe it was a little real), "In the mean time—can I get you some coffee?" I hate this job.

I couldn't be more grateful when that half an hour finally passes by. I swear Katsuya enjoys making people suffer. He ended up getting four Grande sized cups of some of the most complexed drinks to make. It was quite annoying. That's putting it lightly, mind you. I think he ended up only drinking half of all four of them. Bastard.

He smirks at me as I sink tiredly down into one of the couches off in the corner of the coffee shop. That's one of the up sides to working at Starbucks: they have couches for the people that like to drink coffee while reading. It proves for some nice rest after having to stand for four hours straight fixing hot drinks for people almost nonstop (have you ever noticed how popular these places are? They probably make just about as much money as Kaiba selling _coffee_).

But you know, couches are also good for something aside from relaxation. I grin as I pull Katsuya—who is currently sitting on the other side of the couch I just sat down on—towards me. He gives a halfhearted squeak in protest though I know he really doesn't mean it. I suppose it's just an innate reaction to public displays of affection. "So what is it that you wanted to _talk_ about?" He shrugs his shoulders in reply.

After rambling on (okay so he didn't really ramble) about doing something that didn't involve a bed he really didn't have something to talk about. "Katsuya, you big liar," I tease, smirking. He rolls his eyes at me. Still, I believe that I'm going to hold him to his earlier comment about wanting to talk. Of course this brings up the unfortunate situation of me actually trying to think of something to talk about.

The first thing that comes to mind is Ryou. It seems like it would be a safe enough subject. "Have you talked to Ryou lately?" Katsuya seems to be taken off guard by this comment. I suppose he figures that if either of us were to talk to Ryou, it would be me. Which actually isn't true because I am far too lazy to keep in contact with anyone, even my technical 'other half'.

The situation with Ryou is actually fairly interesting. It would seem that at one point he actually wanted to be locked up inside a mental institution (I have no idea why anyone would _want to be, but that's what Katsuya has so thoughtfully informed me of) yet once he had gotten in there he wanted to get out as fast as he possibly could. In the end the drods didn't believe that he was himself (which ended up in Katsuya getting yelled at quite a bit from mou hitori no ore) and he ended up pretending that he was actually, well, me. By some miracle he was able to get out rather quickly._

Where is he now? Living with that psychotic, blonde-haired Egyptian, Malik. Apparently after God knows how many months of me being locked up in that place, Malik began to feel a little guilty for putting me in there. He went to pay me a visit in order to 'apologize'. He got to talking with Ryou and they're a bit of an 'item' now. I'm trying my hardest not to run over to that tanned freak's place and rip his throat out.

"I haven't heard from him since the last time we saw him a week or so back," Katsuya informed me, once again tearing me from mental rampages. That might very well be a good thing this time around. I might have actually run out of this place to put my thoughts in to actions. What would I do without Katsuya around? Obviously not have the sort of thoughts that make me want to gag and gouge out one of my eyes. I'm a tomb robber _not a romantic. _

Now that our little conversation about Ryou is over with (not that you could actually call a question and an answer an actual conversation, but it's about the damn near closest thing to one we generally get) a thick silence passes over us. Or at least one would've had it not been for the fact that we are currently on a couch, in the corner of a crowed coffee house. 

Couch—one word that definitely sticks in my mind. Sitting on a couch with a certain blonde haired boy that wants to 'talk', that's just about what I'm doing. Now you see, there's one thing I like about this _very much. Katsuya never specified exactly what he meant by 'talk' thus leaving it open for misinterpretations that could be easily pushed off as 'I didn't know' though I very well know that he meant actually verbal conversation rather than what my mind would chose to believe.  _

With this new thought (such a pleasant thought at that), I quickly grab a hold of the collar of Katsuya's work shirt and yank him towards me until our lips meet. Yes I am very well aware that I have just initiated a make out session in a Starbucks, on a couch, in the middle of the day. I am also very well aware of the fact that there are some people undoubtedly staring. But really, do you think I care? Obviously not otherwise I would've never initiated the make out session in the first place. 

Much as I suspected Katsuya doesn't seem to put up any objections. Rather I find him pushing me back against the couch within a matter of seconds. This would be the moment when I wish death upon all the people who happen to be around. It's not that I would care but Katsuya's a different story. Though apparently he doesn't mind heated kisses on a couch, in a Starbucks, in the middle of the day.  

Scratch all that. It appears that he has the idea of taking things at least a little further for I soon find his lips are not on my own, but have relocated themselves to my neck. Not only that but soon I feel his tongue tenderly lapping at my skin as his fingers trail down my sides, over the fabric of my shirt. And as if he's trying to keep me on my toes, he nips none too gently.  

"Oniisama?" I'm assuming that this person is addressing Katsuya, seeing how he tenses to the point where he's practically a rock before sitting straight upwards. Somewhere in the process he ended up smacking my shoulder, which is now dully aching from the impact of his hand. Upon looking down at said shoulder I discover it's because Katsuya currently has his nails digging into my shirt and apparently just barely into my skin. How nice.

"S-Shizuka?" Ah, yes. That confirms my earlier assumptions that this girl (who is apparently named Shizuka and I'm assuming is Katsuya's imoto (1)) is talking to Katsuya. And since she just called him 'Oniisama' I am going to assume that she is his younger sister. I think I can remember him saying something once about having a younger sister. Then again that might have been Ryou. Note to self: pay more attention to what people are saying when they talk to you. Of course I know that's not going to happen, but it's still a nice thought. 

"W-what are you doing here?" Katsuya _literally squeaked out. I chuckle to myself, surprised that my comment didn't earn me some sort of an elbow to the stomach or smack on the arm. He didn't hit me! He must be mortified. Aw, and here I thought he wouldn't be ashamed to have his sister catch him sucking my neck on a couch inside of Starbucks. I guess that's what I get for doing my own thinking._

She blinks a few times then smiles warmly (and here I thought all Jounouchi were only capable of idiotic grins) before saying, "Seto-kun just stopped by to get some coffee and I decided to come inside with him," I don't believe that Katsuya likes this answer since he turns blue. That's right, he doesn't go pale; he goes blue. I think he might be forgetting to breathe. I find this fascinating so I decide to stare.

I raise an eyebrow as Katsuya turns an even darker shade of blue. He has definitely forgotten to breathe. I follow his line of vision to discover why. Kaiba has just walked up to Katsuya's imoto and placed a hand on her shoulder. Not only that but she doesn't seem to mind too much. Actually, she's smiling even more than she had been before. "There's no one up there. We're leaving." I blink and quickly glance over at the clock and pale a bit. My break's been over for about five minutes now. Oops. 

"What time does the movie star—" The last part of her sentence (or word?) was cut off by the sound of Katsuya hitting the floor. Apparently his imoto dating (that's what I'll be assuming considering the hand on the shoulder and Katsuya's imoto just implied them going to a movie) the person he hates most in the world is too much for him to handle. I use this newfound opportunity to rearrange my clothing to, well, rearrange my clothing.

Katsuya's imoto looks down at him with a worried look whereas Kaiba smirks. Jerk, smirking at my boyfriend's dismay. As for me, well, I'm smirking too. That still doesn't give Kaiba smirking rights. But given that they are currently distracted from their earlier mentioned task of leaving, I decide to ask question that will surely give me ass kicked off the room if I didn't ask them.  "So how long have you two been dating?"

Kaiba gives me a distraught look as if my question offended him. "We're not dating," he states simply. This, of course, causes me to raise an eyebrow at him. Now what exactly is he doing touching Katsuya's imoto like that if they're not dating. I think that dumbass boyfriend of mine will be more pissed off to know that Kaiba's getting fresh with his sister than them actually dating. Or maybe I just enjoy overanalyzing things. Is touching someones shoulder what you would consider 'getting fresh' with them?

"Then what are you?" I ask. It's another one of those questions that if I didn't ask it would end in me sleeping on the couch. At this point I almost stop to wonder if somehow Katsuya has managed to turn into my wife-type-figure. I quickly stop myself from doing so. Marriage or anything even a close to it is a ground I refuse to tread on.

"She's Mokuba's girlfriend." Again this makes me raise an eyebrow. That certainly is an interesting twist that I wouldn't have thought of. I can just imagine the look on Katsuya's face when he finds out. He'll probably faint again. Though I doubt he'll be upset (or as upset) that it's Mokuba and not Kaiba his imoto is with.

"Seto-kun doesn't trust Mokuba and I to be alone yet, so he doesn't let us go out unless him or someone else comes with us. I've been dating Mokuba for about six months now." I look over at Kaiba with an, 'oh really?' sort of look on my face. This guy really must have no life if he's tagging along on these two days and for six months no less. Doesn't he have a company that he should be running? 

"And he still won't let you two be alone? How cruel," I say and sound completely sincere in doing so. Kaiba glares at me; I beam. Maybe not quite _beam_ but more of a proud grin. 

"I think the role of having to be the overprotective elder brother and both of Mokuba's parents along with it has made him a little more paranoid then needed," Katsuya's imoto quickly explained. When retelling this to Katsuya, I'll be sure to leave out the fact that she defended Kaiba. That would certainly bump up his priorities of wringing the bastard's neck quite a bit. That would be, of course, after he was busy telling his imoto that she shouldn't be standing up for Kaiba. 

But alas, all good conversations must come to an end. Note the sarcasm. "I'll pretend to I didn't hear that if we leave right now," Kaiba says to Katsuya's imoto. You see, I would let the go, but I am very well aware of the fact that Kaiba has yet to get his coffee. And since he's an enemy of Katsuya (and I would surely get repaid tenfold for this in bed once he finds out what I have planned) I won't let him leave that easily. 

"Do you still want that coffee before you leave? My break is over," I state in a bland tone of voice. This is what I like to call the 'work tone'. It's the same tone that everyone develops after working at the same place for a long period of time. This is the tone that I find myself saying, 'Welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you today?' about a hundred times a day.

"Might as well. And, make that a latté," He orders, which, naturally, makes my eye twitch in annoyance. I hate being ordered around. I get myself up off the couch, stepping over my currently comatose boyfriend as I make my way to the counter. 

I believe one of the gallons of milk in the cabinet under the coffee maker is bad. I smirk. Oh how I love being evil. 

==============

**Translations:**

Oniisama – Elder brother 

Imoto – Younger sister

Well, I must admit that this turned out to be a whole hell of a lot longer than I had expected it to be. Nonetheless, I hope that you all enjoyed it. Bakura's thoughts kind of got away with me at some points, if you couldn't tell. The lemon version of this will be posted on adultfanfiction.net. If you are unable to access aff.net then snatch my AIM SN or e-mail address off of my profile and drop me a line. I'll e-mail it to your personally when I have it done. However don't expect this to happen for a while, as I am very bad when it comes to getting out lemons. Oh—before anyone asks: the lemon shall appear in chapter 5. 

One last thing; I wanted to thank all that reviewed. I can't believe this is going to actually hit not 80, but quite possibly 90 reviews! I'd put all the names and little messages to those who did but that would take me too much time and I'm such a slacker! 

P.S. I don't mean to be so mean to Seto in this! I actually really like him. Demo, the characters in this don't share my liking! 


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